Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 104.4: Beyond the Fog (4)
The enemy is approaching in a scattered formation.
At a distance of 200 meters, no, 180 meters.
The stones I set up earlier mark their exact distance.
There are about twenty of them, relying on their numbers to push forward all at once.
They look threatening at first glance, but I’m not so sure.
They have armored vehicles—why aren’t they using them?
Even though the rain, fog, and night create a special situation, is it normal for them to walk slowly across an open field with no cover like that?
Even worse, those low-level Awakened must know I’m already observing them from the roof.
Could it be that they’re still using me as their training target?
It’s a significant miscalculation.
Even in a time when firing a single shot means having to stop and reload for a minute, this is the age of automatic rifles capable of mass destruction.
If these were real soldiers, at least ones with combat experience, they wouldn’t be using such tactics. They would be suppressing my movements with machine gun fire and pushing forward with their forces.
Especially our trained hunters, who are monsters in this kind of battle.
“······.”
I base my next actions on the enemy’s position and speed, predicting their path, while waiting for the thunder and lightning that’s coming.
Thunder strikes every minute or even less, right above our heads.
As expected.
A flash of light brightens the world.
In the next moment, I step out from behind cover, aiming at the line of sight that lies on the boundary of light and shadow, just before the aftershocks of the lightning fade.
The time between judgment and pulling the trigger is a mere instant.
Bang!
The gunshot coincidentally lines up with—
Boom!
The thunder that strikes the sky.
I see a man fall, barely catching the edge of my vision, and quickly retreat back behind cover.
Whooosh---
The intense wind scatters the heavy raindrops in all directions.
Within that chaos, I hear no screams or shouts.
It doesn’t matter.
I wait for the next lightning strike.
And when it strikes,
Bang!
I fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
My gunshots, in sync with the thunder, feel like hammers striking at the unclean.
In an instant, three of them fall.
But—
“······.”
The numbers haven’t decreased by much.
Surely, four should be dead, but only one has fallen.
Before the last flash disappears like ethanol evaporating, I realize the reason.
The one who was shot is getting back up, shaking himself off.
Did he wear high-grade °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° body armor?
The bulletproof vests that can deflect 5.56mm rounds were developed even before the war.
However, due to cost, weight, and the fact that they couldn’t cover the entire body like medieval armor, they were distributed in a way that sacrificed protection for efficiency.
I had aimed at the torso, where the human body is a fixed target and contains vital organs, meaning one well-placed shot should be enough to incapacitate.
But the fact that he got up after taking my shots means Baek Seung-hyun’s disciples are equipped with top-tier gear.
The helmets, however, look like ordinary reinforced ones.
That means they don’t fully protect against gunshots.
But aiming for the head is not cost-effective.
Unlike the torso, the head is constantly moving and often doesn’t lead to incapacitation, even if hit—especially with someone possibly on a stimulant, as I’ve seen people continue fighting after being shot in the jaw, cheek, or even around the eye.
Even when targeting the head, the human brain is only a limited area in the skull, and you need to hit the right spot to make someone stop moving.
But if the situation forces a headshot, there’s no choice but to comply.
The distance to the enemy has now reduced to 120 meters.
I wait for the next lightning strike.
Flash!
The world brightens.
But the enemy is no fool.
They know I fire when the lightning strikes, and this time, they return fire at me.
The enemy’s skill is low, but it’s still a gamble to test my luck like this. It’s not the kind of situation where I’d put my life on the line for such a risk.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I let the thunder pass this time.
Ping!
One of the blind bullets hits the antenna equipment.
I hear the sound of the antenna breaking, and it’s clear that I won’t be able to use the intranet from here anymore.
Gunfire continues for quite a while even after the thunder has subsided.
I wait, my cover still intact, for them to approach.
My heart tightens, but for some reason, I feel a strange sense of familiarity, like lying on a sofa I’ve spent many long hours on, despite the imminent danger.
With death approaching at every moment, my phone in my pocket starts vibrating fiercely.
I look at my phone.
< Live! Apocalypse! : ON AIR >
It’s time.
I press the accept button and secure the phone tightly against my chest.
“······.”
I didn’t say anything.
My phone is probably transmitting only the dark, rain-soaked world that can barely be seen.
But that darkness will soon fade.
Flash!
Another lightning strike.
I don’t move.
Now isn’t the time, and this is the second time I’ve used this method.
If I’ve been caught twice, it’s time to come up with a countermeasure.
And as expected—
Bang! Tatatatat!
They finally start suppressing fire.
They’re persistent about it.
It’s an annoying situation, but at least the viewers will feel the truth of what I’m going through, much more powerfully than a million words.
Ping! Ping!
The sounds of bullets hitting all around.
Some even hit the solar panels, sending fragments scattering.
If someone without combat experience were here, they’d probably lose their composure in the face of such a hail of bullets.
What I’m waiting for is the next moment.
That is,
Boom!
Thunder strikes again, and the echo of it fades into a moment of silence.
I wait for the sound of raindrops hitting the solar panels and prepare my rope next to the cover, pulling it tight.
The rope goes taut, and I pull the lever.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
That lever is the magical staff that I alone can wield, my only power in this moment.
Thoom!
The spotlight turns on.
A beam of light drives away the darkness, shining through the fog created by the rain, illuminating the approaching enemies.
At the same time, I reveal myself from behind cover and pull the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, five fall.
I could have taken another shot, but when one soldier reacts too late and aims his gun at me, I hide behind cover.
Bang! Tatatatat!!!
After a single counterattack, a furious retaliation follows.
Tatatatatat!!!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It’s an attack filled with persistent intent for revenge.
It’s as if they want to destroy this outpost with these bullets alone.
The spotlight breaks, and the beam of light that illuminated them crumbles, but it’s impossible to bring down a reinforced concrete building with just bullets.
However, if the armored vehicles show up, it’ll be a different story.
Whirrrrr----
The sound of the armored vehicle’s engine is still clearly audible through the howling wind and rain.
I take out a shard of mirror to check the enemy's formation.
The armored vehicle is coming.
It’s probably armed with a 7.62mm machine gun.
It seems to be a law enforcement model without rockets or large-caliber cannons.
So, that armored vehicle won’t be able to cause much damage to my barricade, but I also won’t be able to strike back at it.
I crawl forward and descend the stairs.
Tatatatatang!
Even now, intense gunfire is pounding the rooftop.
The dull thuds of gunfire signal that the armored vehicle is also involved in the attack.
As I descend the stairs, I see an observation deck with windows on all sides.
The computer is still on.
“······.”
I hesitated for a moment.
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
Should I say something, or continue the battle in silence as usual?
I chose the latter.
It’s my long habit not to speak unless necessary during combat.
But I won’t deny that Baek Seung-hyun influenced me.
His success was largely due to his ability to eliminate that annoying, grating voice and, instead, complete a story through silence and action alone.
Honestly, my voice is much better than Baek Seung-hyun’s, but it doesn’t seem necessary to speak now.
After all, the data has already been sent.
Even if I die here, someone will speak for me.
Though that someone is a somewhat untrustworthy figure—VIVA_BOT.
“Second floor! It’s the observation deck! They’ve come down from the rooftop!”
A youthful voice comes through the window.
Is he a sensory-type Awakened?
Before the words even finish, a powerful beam of light floods the outpost.
The spotlight from the armored vehicle has illuminated the observation deck where I’m hiding.
It’s not as bright as the spotlight on the rooftop, but it’s enough to reveal my shadow.
Of course, my position, hidden beneath the desk with the computer, won’t be visible to them.
“Second floor! Second floor!”
The voice of the Awakened continues.
I use the cover of the corners and quietly move to the first floor.
Then,
“First floor! Moving to the first floor!”
It’s the same voice.
It could be a coincidence, but in that moment, an idea flashes through my mind.
But for this idea to work, there are a few elements, especially luck, that I’ll need.
“······.”
I run up to the rooftop.
Tatatatang!
As soon as I reveal myself from behind cover, gunshots ring out, hitting the bulletproof glass, but the bullets don’t penetrate.
I climb back up to the rooftop and hide behind cover again.
“The rooftop! He’s on the rooftop!”
That same voice betrays my position.
I had expected the spotlight from the armored vehicle to shine in my direction.
The rooftop isn’t very safe.
There’s no bulletproof glass, and if I stay in a prone position, there’s no concrete wall to shield me from gunfire.
Still, the reason I’m heading to the rooftop is to increase my chances, even if just a little.
“The rooftop! Stay still! Keep moving forward!”
Based on the sensory-type’s voice, I estimate their location and wait for the right moment.
That moment was created by my sweat and the strain in my tendons.
Boom boom boom!
The thunder, much more infrequent now, echoes as the event unfolds.
“Ahhhh!”
One of them stepped into a trap.
They fell into a puddle filled with sticky mud and water, stepping on blades that tore through their boots and into their feet.
They’ve entered the trap zone.
“Ahhhh!”
Their expensive body armor couldn’t save them.
And the screams of the wounded create a distraction for the others.
I silently wait for the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place.
Flash!
It’s here.
The world lights up.
The primal light, uncontrollable by anyone, illuminates the earth, and I deploy all the techniques I’ve honed over a lifetime.
The target is always the one who has been a nuisance—the voice that has been bothering me.
I focus on that young man, standing with his mouth slightly open, staring at me.
Bang!
A single shot rings out, and the bullet goes straight into his slightly open mouth.
“Yeong-hoon has been hit!”
Amid the furious counterfire, I crawl up to the second floor, then descend back to the first floor.
There’s no talking.
Even if I deactivate the shotgun trap I set myself and cautiously open the door to step outside, nothing changes.
The enemy shows no reaction.
The same is true through the mirror.
As the next lightning strikes, I take my shot from the side of the first floor.
I didn’t cause any casualties, but that attack definitely inflicted significant damage on them.
“Retreat! Retreat!”
A loudspeaker from the armored vehicle blares.
It’s definitely Baek Seung-hyun’s voice.
In that instant, I find myself, without realizing, gripping my axe.
Slowly but surely, a killing intent blankets my consciousness, and Baek Seung-hyun’s voice rings out, piercing through the wind and rain.
“We’ll handle them with capsules.”
The armored vehicle turns off its spotlight.
I can hear the soldiers retreating.
I don’t stop them.
Instead, I watch.
I’m curious about what these so-called capsules are.
Soon, the capsule appears.
It’s exactly as I imagined.
On a self-driving drone, a grayish-white oval object is strapped in with a belt.
“Deploy the capsule.”
The drone moves toward me, carrying the capsule.
It stops right in front of the outpost.
“Open it!”
The drone detonates itself.
At that moment, I can’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
Humans are truly dreadful creatures.
The fact that they even use monsters as weapons.
From the debris of the explosion, the grayish-white figure I hate most emerges.
A monster.
My most terrifying enemy now stands at the outpost in a godlike, emotionless form.
Its type is unknown.
It seems to be a small type, though one I don’t recognize.
“······.”
Quietly, I draw my axe.
Shriing—
It’s better this way.
As a hunter, if I must die, then it would be a fitting end at the hands of a monster.
We old-school hunters used to say that in the hell of civil war.
