Chapter 81

44. Construction (2)

Next to my main air-raid shelter is a garage larger than the living space.

Reinforced with steel and concrete like the air-raid shelter, the entrance is hidden by dirt and rocks. To enhance secrecy, the garage was intentionally built at a lower elevation, so the vehicles inside have to climb a slope of about 15 degrees.

Inside this garage, various pieces of heavy equipment and vehicles that I bought while becoming a debtor are parked, waiting for their owner's touch.

Excavators, loaders, drills, forklifts, bulldozers.

This is Park Gyu's collection of heavy equipment.

Most of it is second-hand, but the condition is quite good, and like Baek Seung-hyun's motorcycle, it has been meticulously maintained.

“Wow...”

I've had guests in my air-raid shelter a few times, but this is the first time I've brought someone into my garage.

“Did you make all of this by yourself?”

Da-jeong, forgetting her usual demeanor, stared at me in disbelief and asked.

Well, I felt a rare sense of pride pleasantly scratching my heart, but I tried to answer calmly.

“...Yeah, it took a lot of work.”

Defender was just as surprised.

He looked at me with a trembling voice.

“S, Sir.”

“Not really. Every time something happens, they call me ‘Sir.’”

My plan is to use my collection of heavy equipment and the labor of the Defender siblings to build a new air-raid shelter next to the main one.

In other words, to hide the existing air-raid shelter with a decoy.

“Why start construction now? How long do you think it will take?”

“About a month?”

“Will that be enough?”

I will exclude all utilities like water and electricity.

I will just dig the ground, pour some concrete, and create something similar to my air-raid shelter, placing a toilet in the center.

“The toilet is the most important.”

I asked Defender to help me procure a toilet.

“We have one left at home. Is a broken one okay?”

“It doesn’t matter. This decoy air-raid shelter is supposed to look like it was abandoned a long time ago.”

The Defender siblings don't seem to like my plan.

Especially Defender's sister, who looked particularly displeased. As expected, she tapped on her tablet and showed me the screen.

[The idea is fresh, but will intruders really just pass by a poorly made decoy air-raid shelter? If I were them, I would thoroughly check and inspect the surroundings.]

“That could happen. But don’t worry. In fact, that’s what I want.”

[Really...?]

“Just trust me and let’s get to work.”

When I built my air-raid shelter, my intention was endless expansion and modification.

That’s why I didn’t sell my heavy equipment even while being harassed by debt collectors.

The construction timeline was moved up from my original plan.

I had thought of expanding the air-raid shelter when people had disappeared to the point of being natural monuments in this land.

That way, I could construct without the threat of gunfire, only needing to be cautious of mutations and monsters.

I had thought of building a wall like Park Cheol-ju, and if possible, getting solar panels to use electricity freely and farm, enjoying a comfortable and luxurious twilight of humanity.

I thought it would take about three years to reach that point.

However, humans turned out to be surprisingly resilient and tough.

There are still over a million people bustling in major cities, and in various wastelands, elderly people who have left the cities cling to life like weeds.

I know that construction in this situation is risky, but a greater danger is looming over me.

Construction is not an option.

It’s a necessity.

So, I started the construction with the Defender siblings.

This was also a kind of test.

To see if I, as a person, could live and move with others, not just as a team member.

Since Rebecca wanted to join, I needed to change my approach to group survival, and the Defender siblings, though not openly, seemed to need allies to protect their territory.

Though they don’t say it, I can tell from Defender’s frequent dark expressions that the guy targeting him, Biva! Apocalypse! Newbie - Justice Min, is not an easy opponent.

It’s something that needs to be resolved eventually.

We are gradually becoming a community of fate, not just me but them as well.

“Come on, a bit more. Yes, that’s it. This way.”

Surprisingly, construction with others is much easier than doing it alone.

They check things I don’t know and do tasks I need to do myself.

I have a vague idea of Defender’s past, but it seems he has been through various tough jobs, moving around after returning from China.

He must have done a lot of construction work, as he handles tasks without needing to be taught.

While Defender helped with the heavy equipment, his sister monitored the surroundings using a drone, reducing our worries.

The worst-case scenario during this construction would be an attack by the Legion faction.

Even if not the Legion, the Pioneers would be a headache.

Fortunately, neither the Legion nor the Pioneers came.

Perhaps it’s because the area around here has been hit by artillery and seen battles.

Once a place has been hit by artillery, it might be hit again.

During the construction, I provided the Defender siblings with the decoy air-raid shelter as accommodation.

Since I was using them, I offered my air-raid shelter, but the Defender siblings refused.

“Actually, we value our privacy a lot.”

“Can’t you do something about the toilet?”

The biggest enemy in this construction is not the Legion or other human attacks, but nature itself.

It’s a season with a lot of rain, and after a heavy rain, the excavated ground fills with water, making it impossible to continue construction.

Without a septic tank cleaning pump, we might have given up halfway.

Humming--

Looking at the pump working hard, Defender turned to me with a surprised look and asked.

“Skeleton, what don’t you have?”

“I’ve prepared a lot of things.”

“Isn’t that a bit excessive? You’re not a treasure goblin or something? Or a treasure skeleton?”

The rain did interfere with the construction, but it also softened the ground.

Seeing the small excavator digging into the soft soil with a powerful engine sound made me feel good.

“This should be fine, right?”

After about a week, the decoy air-raid shelter had a rough shape.

Due to the risk of soil collapse, I could only build half the actual size of my air-raid shelter, but it’s still a good start.

The most important thing is the toilet in the center.

That’s the key.

While taking a break, Defender’s sister brought us coffee made with an espresso machine.

“Here’s your coffee. Take it.”

Defender’s sister, who seems to have a barista certification, made coffee that was definitely richer and more flavorful than mine.

“Phew.”

Defender wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around.

“Still, this place is really quiet.”

“You’ve also killed a lot less, haven’t you?”

“No one to kill.”

I carefully asked, looking at his expression.

“Is the guy who wants to kill you still looking for you?”

“Yeah.”

Defender sighed and said.

“He’s even come close to my territory. He must have guessed from the photos I left behind. He found the place just from a streetlight in one of the photos.”

While Defender was talking, his sister sat next to him and stared at me intently.

At that moment, I had a feeling.

Their situation is worse than I imagined.

Looking at both of them, I asked.

“Be honest. How bad is it?”

Defender and his sister exchanged glances and then nodded at me simultaneously.

“It’s not as bad as yours, but we are in danger.”

It seems they are also testing me.

The siblings are trying to understand me better through this construction.

Even if we are internet friends, that doesn’t mean we know everything about each other.

This Skeleton is a young, energetic man.

Living with a pretty girl like Defender’s sister, he might suddenly turn into a beast.

It’s a common story.

A man who treats you well suddenly turns into a rapist.

I lightly shook the warm coffee and drank it in one go.

“...I see.”

It’s a tough time for everyone.

I’ve prepared as much as I can, but the harsh event of the apocalypse is weighing down on everyone equally.

But I have no intention of being crushed by it.

“Once the construction is finished.”

I stroked the pickaxe on my belt and said calmly.

“Shall we go kill that guy?”

Defender and his sister looked at me with surprised eyes.

Looking at them, I smiled and continued.

“You helped with the construction, didn’t you?”

“Skeleton.”

“Don’t worry. I’m good at killing people, not to brag.”

I’m serious.

It’s not a lie.

Defender realized my sincerity and whispered something to his sister.

After a brief exchange, the siblings looked at me.

“It’s okay. For now.”

Defender’s sister said.

“It’s our problem, so we’ll try to solve it.”

“Wait.”

I went back to my air-raid shelter, tore a piece of paper, and quickly wrote on it.

[ ☆“Legendary Hunter” Super Skeleton Summon Coupon☆ ]

I handed it to the siblings.

“Here. Take it.”

Defender chuckled.

Da-jeong even covered her mouth and burst out laughing.

“It’s so childish.”

I don’t intend to argue with her.

But my intentions are sincere.

“I’m not bragging, but I’m more capable than you think. I’m not being targeted by the Legion for no reason.”

“Nye nye~.”

His sister stood up first.

She sat there, looking at her brother who was still holding the Super Skeleton Summon Coupon.

“What are you doing? You should say thank you.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Defender awkwardly replied to his sister’s urging, put the summon coupon in his inner pocket, and looked at me.

“Thanks, Skeleton. At least in spirit.”

“No, I’m serious. Use it whenever you need to.”

“Me too.”

With a slightly shy face, Defender stood up.

For some reason, his usually cold face was flushed.

He must have been very happy.

With this Super Skeleton Summon Coupon.

“Sure. I’ll use it when the time comes.”

It’s a known fact.

People are most efficient when they help each other.

Though I chose to be alone for various reasons, now is the time to help each other.

Not just Defender.

“By the way, about the sniper I mentioned before.”

“Yeah.”

“I thought I’d arrange a meeting with them.”

I showed the Defender siblings a photo of Rebecca and Su, taken with me.

They were appropriately surprised and cautious but positively considered my proposal.

“Sure, we’ll meet when the time comes.”

Defender looked around my territory with his usual indifferent eyes.

“When the time comes.”

It seems Defender has no immediate plans to meet the mother and daughter.

I had momentarily forgotten.

This guy is a cautious killer.

Gathering different people is as difficult as living together.

If we ever form a group and a community, conflicts will be inevitable.

But I feel I can get along well with these siblings.

“Let’s start. We don’t know when the Legion will show up.”

Most importantly, Defender is a top-notch worker.

*

It has been 2 years and 8 months since the war began.

In Incheon, preparations for the second evacuation fleet are in full swing.

There’s still no news from the Legion, but there are unsettling reports of a cult religion expanding in the south.

The weather is getting hotter, and the proliferation of insects indicates that summer is not far off.

In this gloomy period, like the calm before the storm, our construction was completed.

The secret veil to hide my air-raid shelter was finally finished.

“Hmm...”

Da-jeong crossed her arms and looked at the new air-raid shelter with a dissatisfied face.

“Isn’t it a bit hastily made?”

Defender had a similar opinion.

“You’ve worked hard, but the result is not great. It looks like it could collapse at any moment.”

It’s not unreasonable for the siblings to point out the crudeness of my decoy air-raid shelter.

The area is half the size, and the concrete pouring is only done in spots. From a distance, it might not be noticeable, but once inside, the makeshift nature is clear.

If it weren’t for the toilet in the center, it could pass for any other air-raid shelter.

But the toilet is the key.

This toilet makes the air-raid shelter special.

“My plan is...”

How to use this crude air-raid shelter.

First, I will use the excavator to fill in the entrance of my existing air-raid shelter.

It’s a pity to lose an entrance, but it can’t be helped.

We can use the other exit connected to the decoy air-raid shelter or the garage.

After erasing the entrance to the main air-raid shelter, I will dig up the dried tree roots above it with the excavator and place them on top of the decoy air-raid shelter.

These tree roots are one of the key features of my air-raid shelter that Kim Daram mentioned to Kim Pil-sung.

When intruders reach the hill where my air-raid shelter is located, they will immediately look for these tree roots and find the entrance to the decoy air-raid shelter.

The entrance to the decoy air-raid shelter is also set with a slope, like the main one.

“Won’t it be obvious just by looking at the ventilation shaft?”

Defender’s sister, who has been skeptical of my plan, persistently raised objections.

I waved my finger at her.

“I’m about to perform a magic trick.”

“Magic?”

The magic trick is...

Snap—

It’s made of detonating cord and explosives.

I demonstrated the strength and flexibility of the detonating cord by snapping it and then set up the explosives in various places in the decoy air-raid shelter.

“Skeleton, you don’t mean...”

Defender seems to have belatedly realized my plan.

I smiled and nodded, then explained the secret of my magic trick to Da-jeong, who still didn’t understand.

“It’s an explosive ending.”

“An explosive ending...?”

Assuming a group of Legion soldiers enters my territory based on the information from Kim Daram.

They will quickly find the location of my air-raid shelter by following the markers Kim Daram provided.

However, they only know the general features and location of my air-raid shelter, not the exact location and appearance.

What they know is that there are tree roots at the entrance and a toilet in the center.

When they find the tree roots and enter the crude decoy air-raid shelter, all they will see is a toilet in the darkness.

If they try to go further, the detonating cord, which glimmers in the dark, will stop them in their tracks. While they are stopped, I, Park Gyu, will be watching from inside the main air-raid shelter and detonate the explosives, burying the decoy air-raid shelter in soil right in front of their eyes.

“I think I’ve seen this in a mystery manga. The villain pretends to kill the victim in front of the protagonist, right?”

Da-jeong, who finally understood the secret of my magic trick, said excitedly.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“S, Sir!”

My plan is not perfect.

There might not be enough explosives to cause the desired collapse, or they might damage my main air-raid shelter.

I’ve adjusted the amount based on my intuition, but I’m not an explosives expert.

The biggest threat is probably someone who has been to my air-raid shelter coming back.

Kim Daram.

That detestable junior who absorbed my teachings to the point of being annoying.

Of course, if that guy comes here,

I will come out of the air-raid shelter and face him.

And I will ask him.

Why?

It’s that kind of era.