Chapter 94

51. Verification (1)

It has been a long time since our bulletin board named user, Defender, last "verified."

I, for one, knew the backstory—that he had moved to a sparsely populated and peaceful place and was being targeted by a sniper, a user who never posted on the board. So, I didn't find his reduced activity particularly strange, but other users felt differently.

Anonymous458: Why hasn't Defender been verifying lately?

Anonymous1131: Yeah, I've never seen him since I joined.

mmmmmmmmm: It's called a water rocket. Who would take that in today's world? The weak are all dead.

Anonymous782: Despite that, Defender was quite famous even on Failnet.

...

...

Users pointed out his poor performance and even questioned whether he still deserved to be a named user.

ㅇㅇ: What's a Defender without verification? He's just a lurker.

To me, the mere existence of this trend is undeniable evidence that our hearts have become sick.

In the midst of pervasive death and tragedy, our emotions have become numb, and the world looks different.

It's not surprising, but among us, almost no one is shocked by the sight of a corpse.

They might frown.

No one would hesitate to pull the trigger on someone trying to kill us.

And I can't say that no one would hesitate to point a gun at a weak but attractive woman or someone with valuable items and use violence.

I, too, have felt such impulses more than once.

Like the word "raider" that disappeared long ago, we have become beings not much different from them.

Well, even I can see that Defender's activity has decreased recently.

Sometimes, I miss his, or his brother's, cynical remarks.

It was when he had returned from tending a small garden and was back home that Defender finally posted on the board.

Defender: Verification

In the photo Defender posted, there was a man in his early twenties.

His thumbs were bound with cable ties, and his eyes were taped shut, forcibly seated on an old chair.

Unlike Defender's previous verifications, this man was alive.

This was out of the ordinary.

Until now, Defender had only verified the photos of people he had killed, never of someone alive.

I sensed that something unusual was happening.

As if to answer the question, Defender posted another message.

Defender: Justice Min. Come out.

-Don't send a message; post on the board where everyone can see.

Begging for mercy, negotiating, or even asking to be killed are all good.

I'll give you one hour.

If you don't do anything in one hour, you'll see your brother's corpse verified.

“...”

People say Defender has changed.

Some argue that he was able to excel in the early days because the people back then were weak.

But I don't agree with that.

The Defender I know was, in a way, a complete user from the start.

Unlike other users whose thoughts and morals changed with the times and whose perspectives on the world evolved, Defender has always lived by his own firm standards.

As his nickname suggests, he is a protector.

Of himself, his family, and his territory.

Anyone who interferes is eliminated.

He merely "verifies" his protection.

Now, Defender has verified again.

It's obvious that the board will be thrown into turmoil.

But no one could predict who would ultimately be caught in that turmoil.

*

The other main character in this incident, a user named JUSTICE_MIN, is probably known only to Defender and me.

He has never posted on this board.

Even a search of his account shows the same.

He has been a member since before the war, but he is a mere phantom, existing in name only.

So, when Defender mentioned him, our board users expressed strong curiosity and skepticism.

RKKArA: Who is Justice Min?

Anonymous458: Yeah, I've never heard of him.

Foxgames: Who could it be?

Anonymous1131: I don't know who he is, but it's interesting.

gijayangban: He has no activity history.

...

...

Unlike other users, I am in actual contact with Defender.

"Defender."

I initiated the contact.

"Yeah. Skeleton."

His brother replied.

"What's up?"

"Just a moment. I'll connect you to my brother."

His voice was unusually cold and businesslike.

I can guess why.

He is currently holding a hostage and facing off against someone who wants to kill them in real-time.

She is probably operating several drones to support her brother.

"Hey. Skeleton."

Soon, Defender contacted me.

"The gunshot I took before wasn't just a coincidence. That guy has been hunting me for a while. I got shot when I was looking for clues and let my guard down."

It seems the battle between Defender and Justice Min has been intense, even in places I didn't know about.

I had a vague idea, but I didn't expect Defender to be hunting Justice Min.

I thought he would take a defensive stance to protect himself and his brother.

"Shouldn't you have told me?"

But when I thought about it, Defender has always been the type to proactively seek out trouble.

His brother preferred to stay in the room.

That's why they have a close relationship.

"If it was urgent, I would have contacted you. But it wasn't. Anyway, I'll hang up."

The communication ended.

This means that Park Kyu, Defender's internet friend, has become just another ordinary viewer like other board users.

Like them, he is now constantly comparing the time Defender posted and the current time shown on the monitor or a clock in the house, speculating on what the unknown user Justice Min will do, and what Defender or Justice Min will post.

Just as I was about to go downstairs to get some popcorn, ready to face whatever comes,

"Skeleton."

The communicator rang again.

It wasn't Defender's.

It was Rebecca and her daughter's.

I received this communicator from Defender, but I adjusted the frequency so it doesn't connect to Defender's side.

So, I have to use two different communicators when dealing with Defender and the sniper mother-daughter duo.

It's a waste of resources, but Defender doesn't want to mix with them, so I have to switch between the two communicators.

Anyway, Rebecca knew Defender.

"Defender, Skeleton's friend, right? You live nearby?"

"Yeah."

"What was that post just now?"

"Do you read the Korean board too?"

"It's night in the U.S. Low regeneration rate. Bored."

"Anyway, about the hostage?"

"Yeah."

"Listen, I don't know the full details, but there has been someone threatening to kill Defender for a while."

"Threatening? What do you mean?"

Soo interjected and explained the current situation to Rebecca in detail.

"Such a thing... "

"Skeleton."

Soo called me this time.

"Yeah, Soo. Want some juice?"

"No."

Soo said in a serious tone.

"A car crashed and flipped over in front of our house."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It might be that Defender. Did he fight in front of our house?"

"How far?"

"4km northeast?"

"Not right in front of the house, then?"

"The front yard."

Soo may be young, but she grew up in a world full of enemies, relying on a single gun.

Moreover, she is more mature and perceptive than her mother.

She has a certain intuition.

"Wait a moment."

I took Baek Seung-hyun's motorcycle and headed straight to Rebecca's territory.

Every time I ride Baek Seung-hyun's motorcycle, I wonder if he regrets giving it to me.

It's much more useful than anything I bought with money.

Just a little thought, and the convenience of this durable two-wheeler is unparalleled, even in the post-apocalypse. Why didn't I buy one?

I have an excuse, though.

My mentor, Jang Gi-yeong, said motorcycles are for widows and that I should never ride or buy one, and as his disciple, I accepted his philosophy without question.

Vroom—

But honestly, my mentor doesn't say much that's true.

It's like 90% nonsense and 10% truth, which somehow sticks.

The motorcycle is a good example.

It's so good and convenient.

I arrived at Rebecca's territory, feeling the brisk engine sound and speed.

Soo waved at me from the top of the building.

"Skeleton!"

"I'm here."

I climbed the stairs, filled with quintessentially American decorations, and observed the abandoned field with the surveillance equipment Soo handed me on the rooftop.

Sure enough, there was a flipped car.

"People were pulling someone out of it."

"People?"

"Yeah."

"One man? One woman?"

"No. Three men."

"Hmm. Not Defender, then."

Soo seems to have mistaken another incident for this one.

Defender is two, not three, and certainly not three men.

I checked the time.

There were 20 minutes left until the time Defender announced.

If Justice Min doesn't post within 20 minutes, the hostage Defender secured will die.

"Rebecca, are you watching?"

"Yeah."

I went over to Rebecca and looked at the monitor she was watching.

When the screen looked small, she turned on a nearby powered-off monitor.

The same screen appeared on the monitor as on the laptop.

"What, what is this?"

"Dual monitors."

Rebecca answered in native pronunciation.

"Is that possible?"

"Are you a fool, Skeleton?"

"..."

I looked at the screen on the secondary monitor, feeling scolded by Rebecca.

"Stop scrolling so randomly."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

"What, Rome? This is Korea. And who do you think gave you that equipment?"

"Prescription."

"What?"

While arguing with Rebecca, I heard gunshots from a distance.

Soo, who was on the rooftop, came down with her gun and surveillance equipment.

"People killed the people in the car."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They took the woman with them."

It sounds ordinary, but it's a terrible tragedy for someone.

Soo told the story without any emotion.

She must be used to it.

After all, she lives in the post-apocalypse.

She probably sees more tragedies than I do, living in a higher place.

"Skeleton, is something wrong with Defender?"

"No, not yet."

Soo came over and looked at the same monitor as me.

Tap tap

While Rebecca typed furiously, searching for unknown words in the Korean board and trying to understand the situation, I thought about the current events.

The first thing that came to mind was worry.

Defender.

Didn't Justice Min say he was a mid-sized group, skilled in combat, and that he would call me for help when fighting them?

Why didn't he call me when he was fighting them?

The first feeling was regret.

"..."

When I thought about it, something similar happened before.

When I fought Kim Pil-sung's group, I didn't use the Defender summoning right, even though I had it.

That's because Defender might be in danger.

Maybe Defender is thinking the same and trying to fight this battle alone?

When I reached this conclusion, I stood up.

"Sorry, I have to go."

Rebecca and Soo looked at me simultaneously.

"Already? It's not time yet?"

"No, I'm worried."

Defender said he didn't need me, but that's his opinion.

Even if he doesn't call me, I should at least be there.

To be ready to help if they need it.

I don't want to lose them.

Just as they don't want to lose me.

But before I could even take a step towards the stairs,

"Skeleton!"

Rebecca shouted, looking at the monitor.

"Hmm?"

A new post appeared on the secondary monitor.

Defender: Additional Verification.

The post was from Defender, not Justice Min.

The word "additional" had a chilling effect, reminiscent of the first time I saw Defender.

"Should I click it?"

In the heavy silence, Rebecca clicked the post.

A photo appeared.

"Soo, are you okay?"

I didn't cover Soo's eyes.

It's not my place, and in this era, it's just a fuss.

"I'm fine."

Soo looked at the screen without any reaction.

The screen showed three corpses.

In the past, Defender would cover the faces of the corpses with plastic or other trash, but not this time.

The distorted faces, still bearing the pain and fear they felt at the moment of death, filled the center of the monitor.

Beyond them, the bound man was still sitting in the chair.

Defender: 5 minutes left.

Defender warned again.

No one replied to his post.

There was no teasing or fuss.

Seeing the ominous silence on the board, I nodded unconsciously.

"This is Defender."

It seems I was the one making a fuss.

I might be better at killing monsters, but killing people is Defender's specialty.

He entered the school as part of the cursed 18th batch, trained to hunt monsters, but ended up killing more people and committing massacres.

In the ominous silence, the fateful time arrived.

4:02 PM.

One minute until execution.

A post appeared on the eerily quiet board.

JUSTICE_MIN: I'm sorry. I apologize.

Justice Min appeared.

With a bitter apology.

But right after he posted, another post appeared.

Defender: Verification.