Chapter 82

45. Plum Rain

It's raining.

It's the rainy season.

The endless rain shows no sign of stopping.

My air-raid shelter is well-equipped with drainage facilities, so it remains intact unless there's a particularly heavy downpour. However, the newly built fake air-raid shelter is not so fortunate.

I put on a raincoat and went outside to inspect the fake air-raid shelter.

My uneasy premonition proved to be correct.

The fake air-raid shelter, which I had worked on for a month, was already showing signs of collapse.

At this rate, it would collapse before the Legion even arrives.

I needed to reinforce it.

I removed the booby traps connected to the iron wire and recovered the explosives, then used a pump to drain the water.

After draining all the water, I cut down trees from nearby and made simple beams to support the ceiling.

I wanted to use cement, but with the rain continuing, it was impossible to even mix it, let alone cure it. I had to settle for the beams.

Since the Defender siblings had left, I had to do all the work myself.

Indeed, doing it alone is twice as hard.

Before the war, I could work until my body was drenched, sleep soundly, and then get back to work without worrying about others. But now, not only can I not sleep properly, but I also have to remain vigilant and keep an eye on my surroundings while working.

This experience shows how important reconnaissance resources like the Defender's younger brother are.

My body was so exhausted that I wanted to call the Defender, but I have a conscience.

In the end, I didn't call the Defender and managed to install all the support beams, patching up the fake air-raid shelter to some extent.

However, the sky can be merciless.

Shower, shower, shower—

This year's rainy season is relentless.

A torrential downpour began.

Boom!

With a thunderclap, it seemed as if a hole had been torn in the sky, and a deluge of rain poured down.

The rainfall was so heavy that the rain gauge recorded 70mm per hour.

Since the war began, this is the worst downpour ever.

Perhaps because of this.

Tap, tap, tap

Water droplets started to form and fall from the ceiling, which had never leaked before, and muddy water began to seep into the main entrance, which was blocked with earth.

There was also a problem with the plumbing.

Rumble—

The moment the central toilet emitted a strange scream, I immediately shut off all the plumbing valves.

It was a close call.

I managed to prevent the backflow from the septic tank, which would have turned the entire air-raid shelter into a cesspool.

However, this was just the tip of the iceberg.

The massive rain pouring from all directions was trampling everything in its path.

Crack—

In the afternoon, the sound of a landslide was heard.

It wasn't from the side of the fake air-raid shelter but from the opposite valley.

The weak ground, with only dead trees and newly sprouted saplings, had collapsed and flowed into the valley.

Numerous worries sprang to mind.

The worst possible scenario was flooding.

Especially if the food storage and generator in the basement were submerged, it would be like a death sentence for me.

I kept a close eye on the basement levels, the garage, and the main air-raid shelter, monitoring for leaks throughout the rain.

I want to praise my past self.

Despite the heavy rainfall exceeding 300mm, my air-raid shelter held up firmly.

However, there was still damage.

The first floor, which is directly connected to the outside, was completely flooded.

The water level was up to my shins, making life in the air-raid shelter almost impossible.

Most of all, the smell was unbearable.

Although I managed to prevent the direct backflow from the toilet, the septic tank was full of rainwater, which had spilled out and mixed with other rainwater, flooding my air-raid shelter.

The rainwater mixed with the sediment in the septic tank is now emitting a damp, foul odor, turning my air-raid shelter into a hell.

I went outside to check the sky.

The rain had paused, but the sky was still overcast.

The rainy season continues.

I checked the fake air-raid shelter.

Although I had reinforced it as much as possible, it had not collapsed, but the inside had turned into a water tank.

"Huh."

Feeling the insignificance of humans before nature, I picked up a shovel.

Thud—

The direction of my digging was the entrance to the main air-raid shelter, which I had buried with an excavator earlier.

I had to open the main air-raid shelter door.

For drainage and ventilation.

There was no choice.

If I didn't open this door, I wouldn't know when I could drain the water and get rid of the stench.

Although there is an exhaust system, no matter how good it is, it can't compare to opening the door wide.

Thud—

The ground was soft, making it easy to dig.

Soon, the firmly closed front door of my home was revealed.

Although not widely known, there is a small engraving on the front of this sturdy iron door: "Park Kyu."

It's a kind of nameplate.

I once tried to imitate the nameplates I saw on people's doors while walking through residential areas.

Not many people seem to notice it.

Anyway, when I opened this heavy and dull door, a hot, damp, and foul-smelling air greeted me, along with a staircase leading down endlessly.

I carefully descended the stairs and started the drainage.

Hum, hum, hum—

Getting a drainage pump was an excellent decision.

It's like when you try a side dish at a restaurant and it turns out to be better than the main course.

I bought it for cleaning the septic tank, but I didn't expect it to perform so well.

Thinking about it, for those living underground, a drainage pump is essential, but not many people emphasize this.

Everyone knows the importance of drainage, but their focus was on building waterproof facilities to prevent flooding, not on what to do if the drainage system failed.

Although I can't access the internet due to the situation, I imagine many forum friends are in trouble now.

Without a pump, they would have to bail out the water with buckets.

While the pump was draining the water with 10 horsepower, I went up to the hill above the air-raid shelter.

From the top, covered in a faint mist, I looked around.

The world was filled with water.

It was submerged in water.

The abandoned rice fields were filled with water, something that hasn't happened in a long time.

I walked around in the drizzle.

One of the dummy air-raid shelters had collapsed.

The air-raid shelter itself was fine, but the surrounding earth had slid, blocking the entrance.

When I returned to the main air-raid shelter, the pump had almost drained the water inside.

I had to clean up the remaining water with a dustpan and mop and dry it with the boiler.

After tidying up the pump, I turned on the water.

"..."

They say "mountain after mountain."

The color of the water coming from my hands was that of muddy water.

The rain had seeped into the water tank.

The rain continued throughout the night.

It wasn't as heavy as before, but as long as it kept raining, I had to postpone tasks like cleaning the water tank.

Naturally, I couldn't take a shower and had to sleep in the truck parked inside.

Drinking water was also a problem.

Since the water tank was contaminated, I had to use water purification capsules to make the muddy water drinkable.

"Ugh!"

Naturally, it tasted like disinfectant.

I washed my face with the remaining purified water and tried to contact my neighbors.

The Defenders were in trouble.

"Mr. Seo! Good timing. Can you lend me a pump?"

"AAAAH! We're one step away from becoming water spirits!"

They were also in the basement.

In contrast, the sniper living in a high-rise building didn't seem to have experienced much damage.

"Korean buildings are well-built. They're sturdy."

"Because it's raining, I want to eat something juicy."

Rebecca, who rarely praises Korea, must not have been affected by the rain.

Unfortunately, the rain showed no signs of stopping.

Due to the previous heavy rainfall, my plumbing system had issues, so I had to monitor the entire air-raid shelter without proper rest or a shower.

Two days passed.

"..."

My appearance in the mirror was terrible.

My hair was matted and tangled, my face was yellowish, and I had deep dark circles under my eyes.

What's even more terrifying is that despite being so exhausted, I now have to do more hard labor.

At this point, the Legion, the Awakened, Jeju Island, and all that seem trivial.

My immediate survival is threatened, so what do I care about some distant group?

In the face of the flood and the enormous amount of work it has created, everything else feels distant.

*

I accessed the internet three days after the rainy season ended.

It had been almost a week since my last access.

I couldn't use the internet during the rain.

The first-floor electrical panel in the air-raid shelter was turned off due to the damp environment, and I had no time to spare.

From what I could see, it had rained heavily nationwide.

Most striking was the silence of the Pale Net.

The Pale Net had stopped.

Come to think of it, the Zonae's hideout was also underground.

Would they be safe?

I sent a message to one of Zonae's subordinates.

Message from 183cm88kg18cm: Ah, Mr. Skeleton. Don't worry, we are still standing. However, the heavy rain has damaged our communication antenna. We don't want to rely on the government, but in this situation, we have no choice.

Fortunately, our Zonae is still standing.

However, I learned something unexpected.

The Pale Net has connections with the government.

It probably wasn't there from the beginning, but as the Pale Net's influence grew, they must have reached out.

Anyway, thanks to the Pale Net's silence, our forum has returned to its former bustling state, like a small town where everyone knows each other.

Many users I remember are posting.

Their posts are all about the rain.

They all describe how severe this rain was and the significant damage it caused.

I sent messages to people I knew.

Message from DragonC: I'm alive, but my child is sick. Can I get some medicine?

Message from Anonymous848: I'm fine. I have plenty of food.

Message from mmmmmmmm: ㅗ

Message from dongtanmom: Who? Nyan?

"..."

At least everyone seems to have survived.

However, this flood will deal another blow to the already struggling Korea.

Sure enough, our reporter shared news from Incheon.

gijayangban: At this point, the number of missing due to the flood is over 50,000.

gijayangban: The government has given up on counting.

There were no photos or evidence.

But everyone believed the reporter.

They had all experienced the pain firsthand.

The flood experienced in a well-protected apartment is entirely different from the one where the water rises to your thighs.

This time, more people experienced the latter.

Hum, hum, hum, hum—

Next to the fake air-raid shelter, a pump is working hard to drain the water.

I've been working throughout the rainy season, but there's still a lot to do.

Cleaning the water tank, repairing the groundwater pump, clearing the clogged drainage, and drying everything.

"..."

At times like this, I feel the temptation to give up everything.

I feel the urge to escape into drugs or alcohol and live as I please, like others.

But I can't.

I still have something I want to see.

They say my former colleagues on Jeju Island are closing the rift.

I want to see the results.

Of course, it's not easy.

Whether it rains or not, I'm still known to the Legion and at risk of attack.

Draining the water from this fake air-raid shelter is another struggle for survival.

"Hmm?"

Something is wriggling up from the still damp soil.

It's a cicada nymph.

It's not big enough to emerge yet, but the weather is so severe that it seems to have experienced adulthood prematurely.

I threw it back into the soil and stared at the fake air-raid shelter.

A thought crossed my mind.

Perhaps I am not much different from a cicada.

Cicadas spend nearly seven years underground preparing for their transformation, and once they emerge, they sing and die for a single mating.

This fake air-raid shelter is similar.

It was built for a single performance.

To explode and collapse in front of the Legion.

Until then, it's a continuous wait.

No one knows how long the wait will be.

Perhaps, as the Defender said, the Legion might never come.

That means I have to endlessly maintain and repair this air-raid shelter, which might collapse at any moment, to prepare for the Legion, whose arrival is uncertain.

The waiting time might exceed seven years.

"..."

Like a cicada.

SKELTON: Mmm... The rain is so heavy, I'm so tired, mmm....

I am a cicada now.

dongtanmom: Nyan... Why are you imitating me? Nyan...

SKELTON: Mmm... Shut up, mmm....

dongtanmom: Nyan... That's a bit harsh... If you saw me in person, you wouldn't be able to stand it, hahaha, nyan!

SKELTON: Mmm... I'm level 18 Awakened, want to fight? Mmm....

For the mirror treatment of Baek Seung-hyun, aka Dongtanmom.

Message from defender: Skeleton? Have you finally gone crazy?

Message from Anonymous848: What's up? Suddenly? Did the rain get to you?

mmmmmmmmm: Yum yum~?

gijayangban: ?

The reactions around me are all shock.

Even I think the concept is too bizarre.

Well, it was a way to relieve stress.

I don't know why, but a storm of emotions led me to this madness.

Perhaps it was inevitable.

I always harbored a desire to get back at Baek Seung-hyun.

The stress built up, and this anger burst out all at once.

However, my bizarre concept resonated with one man.

iamjesus: Mmm....

One of the four great madmen of the forum, iamjesus, asked about my concept.

This is good.

Madmen are drawn to each other, like magnets.

However, the problem is the photo he attached.

"..."

The photo shows the inside of a dark air-raid shelter.

There are poor living conditions, overly explicit adult items, and a grotesque man.

Up to this point, it's a typically ugly photo.

Except for the man's eyes, which glow with a strange light, and a grayish-white halo behind him.

I recognize this phenomenon.

"Alpha Awakening."

A characteristic event that occurs when a higher-level Awakened realizes their power.

They emit an extraordinary radiance, declaring to the world that they have been chosen by a god.

iamjesus: Mmm... What's happening to me? Mmm....

God has chosen a madman who was marginalized on the forum.