Hiding a House in the Apocalypse

Chapter 20: Paradise

My underground bunker is not just a simple refuge.

It has been meticulously designed to preserve the past way of life even in the face of the world's destruction, with vast resources invested.

While it may not compare to the fortresses of some conglomerate executives, I have prepared everything to an excessive degree.

From food and fuel to essentials and medicines, I have prepared to the point of having various equipment and miscellaneous items whose purpose I don't even know.

Even the firearms and ammunition that were lacking have now been acquired; my fortress is completely flawless.

This fortress is meant for me alone.

From the design phase, I did not consider any elements that would accommodate anyone other than myself.

Even the toilet is situated openly in the middle of the residential floor of the underground bunker.

Due to design convenience considerations such as optimal plumbing, this is how it ended up, but if I were to live in communal quarters, I would have to expose myself every time I needed to use it.

The same goes for my stockpile.

While I could live comfortably with the amount of supplies I have for myself, it would not be the same if I had to share them with others.

Yes, my underground bunker is my own paradise.

"I might need to go there."

Someone is trying to infiltrate that paradise.

I know this person well.

If there are some special circumstances...

However, she is not alone.

"...Three people?"

That's too many.

Even one person is burdensome, but to bring two more along with her.

And they are people I have no connection with.

I can roughly guess who they might be.

It's probably Kim Daram's husband and their son.

They are people unrelated to me.

Kim Daram's husband is someone I only exchanged handshakes with at their wedding, and I only know her son's name is Dongtak; I have never actually met him.

"Sorry, senior. This must be quite sudden for you."

Kim Daram was one of the few decent individuals I encountered among the countless military personnel I met.

Above all, her positive attitude appealed to me.

Even in the most desperate and hopeless situations, she never lost her laughter and hope.

Although she has become a wife, a mother, and a high-ranking member of a group since then, the Kim Daram I first met was no different.

An awkward silence took me back to the past.

It was during my time as the team leader, leading the hunting team.

Back then, I wasn't a welcoming figure.

Rather, I was someone to avoid.

It was inevitable because the past Park Gyura was rigid, unyielding, and harsh to both himself and others.

Due to my severe personality, my colleagues left the team one by one, and my superiors distanced themselves from me. Even my juniors didn't approach me; they didn't even try to get close.

"Get out of my team. I don't need someone who lingers around my team and watches like a spectator."

Even my team members were terrified of me.

"Why do you always speak in your own terms? Not everyone can be the same. Even if this place demands such uniformity, there should be room for individual differences, right?"

"Never show your face here again."

Did anyone even consider joining my team when the existing members were leaving?

Oh, there was one friend who showed interest.

"Hahaha! Second place again! I am always second place!"

Now, the liberated Lee Sanghoon burst into laughter and approached me.

"But next year will be different."

Whether it was then or now, Lee Sanghoon, who loved women, brought a woman I hadn't seen in a while to the year-end party.

"When the year changes, do you think your skills will improve?"

I stared at Lee Sanghoon's left arm, which was in a cast, with deliberate intent.

"Not necessarily, but you know. Can you find new team members?"

"..."

"Word has already spread. If you're under him, you'll die of a nervous breakdown before you die from monsters."

"I haven't had any encounters with monsters, so it's just talk."

"Well, you're really hungry right now. There are two restaurants. One is good at food but has terrible service, and the other is mediocre in terms of food but has excellent service. Where would you eat?"

"I'd choose the latter."

"You know it too."

"Is a restaurant the same as a battlefield?"

Back then, I didn't think much of it.

I thought everyone felt the same way because I was consumed by hatred for monsters.

Honestly, I didn't care if someone like me was a superior or colleague.

As long as I could kill monsters, as long as I could personally eliminate those creatures that had taken everything from me, I was willing to endure any cold and harsh treatment.

But reality is never as straightforward.

Lee Sanghoon's words, which had sounded like the ramblings of a charlatan, had come true.

Even when I achieved the best results and took on the most dangerous tasks as the team leader, no one wanted to join my team.

Applying to transfer to other teams was also not easy. No one accepted me.

It wasn't that I, as the team leader, was the problem.

It was the fact that Park Gyura, the human being, had become a pariah to everyone.

Amid the comings and goings of colleagues who couldn't stand each other, I fell into deep resentment. It was probably around that time that I tried alcohol for the first time.

That's when someone appeared.

She was a junior from a year below, a friend who had suffered a major injury on the battlefield and had been bedridden for quite some time.

We were only vaguely familiar with each other's faces, so she approached me with a broad smile and introduced herself.

"I'm Kim Daram. Call me just Daram."

"Is this a joke?"

"Haha."

Perhaps even nonsensical humour like that might have been one of the reasons why I was unpopular.

Kim Daram was more forgiving than others.

"While everyone says that Senior is boring and scary, I'm okay with it. I've calculated it myself. Even if I don't know about anything else, when I'm with Senior, the chances of dying are the lowest."

That was the first proper meeting I had with Kim Daram.

Time returned to the present.

The bleak silence still lingered.

"What's going on?"

I was the one to break the silence.

"Why would the high-ranking member of the National Crisis Management Committee suddenly want to come to such a humble place?"

"The situation is not good."

Kim Daram let out a heavy sigh.

"That person, Yang Sanggil, said that we don't need people without abilities in Jeju Island."

"Yang Sanggil..."

The name of the chairman of the National Crisis Management Committee.

He was not a hunter, nor a soldier, but a pure bureaucrat who had never set foot on the battlefield. Yet, he had been responsible for administration since the Hunter organization was incorporated into government agencies.

Certainly, his abilities were outstanding.

And despite similar positions, while other non-hunter appointees were leaving one by one, he not only retained his position but also received an honorary medal.

"Yang Sanggil, that person, said something like this at a meeting. 'Old-school hunters should stay, right?'"

"Old-school hunters..."

They referred to hunters like me from the old days.

In a time when humanity did not yet possess supernatural abilities like monsters, these were the rugged hunters who fought with only their skills, senses, determination, and preparation.

What set the new Hunters apart was a series of processes that allowed them to use mental energy and psychic abilities, distinct from the physical abilities possessed by monsters. They were initially called "New Kids" but were now referred to as "Awakeneds."

Kim Daram and Lee Sanghoon were old-school hunters like me.

As the first Awakened appeared and a way to produce Awakeneds through them was discovered, our old-school hunters gradually disappeared from the battlefield.

Considering the cost compared to efficiency and the extremely high mortality rate, it was a natural outcome.

The hunters who were no longer needed on the battlefield had to trade their military uniforms for suits.

Well, they were fortunate enough to live a life as "second-rate" compared to others.

Most old-school hunters had to either give up their abilities or continue to live a miserable life as second-class citizens, like Baek Seunghyun, who initially chose a different path but eventually returned, facing insults from nearly a ten-year age difference juniors.

"If only Lee Sanghoon had the same level of ability as those people, it would have been Yang Gilsang who died by suicide."

"..."

"Anyway, the situation has become like this."

"While we're at it, let me ask. How much time is left for Seoul?"

"Not much."

Kim Daram answered without hesitation.

"Do you know about the food and supplies sent to Seoul this time?"

"I've heard something about it."

"That was meant for the frontlines. It was supposed to go to the military units that were already discontinued."

"I see, there were such circumstances."

"Several frontline commanders are already showing signs of becoming warlords. In such a situation, telling them to stay in Seoul is just another way of saying 'go die,' isn't it?"

"So, are you coming here?"

"Is it burdensome?"

"Three people are too many."

"I can't give up on even one."

"Is that so?"

"Of course, I won't come empty-handed. I have a conscience too. I'll bring a significant dowry that even a senior can nod to."

That was the end of the conversation.

I didn't give a definite answer, but considering Kim Daram's stubborn personality, her decision to come here was a foregone conclusion.

I pondered it deeply.

Kim Daram was an excellent combatant. While her senses might have dulled slightly from being in high positions for a long time, I didn't doubt her combat abilities.

Human, mutation, monstershe had demonstrated her worth abundantly on the Chinese battlefield.

Above all, we had worked together for a long time, and if our combat styles were compatible, the two of us could defeat a single monster.

On the other hand, her husband was a doctor.

Even though he was a dermatologist, a doctor was still a doctor. He was not a comparison to a license-less street thug like me.

While he wasn't a combatant, he could still be helpful depending on the situation.

Their son was still a toddler and not yet eligible for assessment. Objectively, their family was among the highest-caliber individuals who could be accepted as comrades during the era of destruction.

But my fortress was my sanctuary.

Unable to make a decision, I sought advice from my inner sanctuary.

However, I was now an experienced user myself.

I knew the community's rules and what they disliked.

I couldn't give up on my identity and principles, but I tried to avoid breaking the taboos they hated the most.

"Would you like to change your nickname from SKELTON to Anonymous?"

For the first time in a while, I wore the mask of anonymity and wrote a post.

Anonymous1031: Hey there, I'm thinking of bringing in a new colleague. Any thoughts?

The post roughly discussed bringing in a married couple, one being a high-ranking active hunter and the other a doctor, into the shelter.

The reason for writing it anonymously was that the very act of asking such a question could be considered a form of deception.

Anonymous458: A doctor and a hunter? Nice, seems like you have a lot of connections.

Kyle_Dos: It's a fantasy novel, but if it were me, I'd accept them, as long as we have enough provisions.

Anonymous848: A doctor plus a hunter means they can survive on their own. If they're close to being family, we should consider accepting them.

While there was some teasing, the overall feedback was positive. Most opinions suggested that with this level of manpower, it would be better than being alone.

I was disappointed in the community's reaction.

I felt that my thoughts were different from theirs.

"..."

Well, the community's thoughts and mine couldn't always align.

Still, there was at least one friend who expressed concerns, even if they didn't fully agree with me.

Defender: There's nothing more dangerous than parents with a kid. Have you ever wanted to kill someone else's kid when you saw them make a mess?

There were comments along those lines.

Kim Daram acted quickly.

"Can I take a look around before I come?"

She wanted to see the place she was going to live.

There was an option to ignore her, but meeting her might have been inevitable from the moment she contacted me.

After all, without that friend, I might not have been here now.

Kim Daram had always been positive and had acted as a bridge, connecting me with new team members. Thanks to her, I was able to continue my life as a hunter.

Occasionally, I had connected her with people like Woo Minhee or Gong Gyeongmin, but my team had survived largely thanks to her.

If things hadn't changed, we might still be fighting monsters together on the battlefield.

Well, that guy had harboured as much intense hatred as I had.

My junior arrived at my sanctuary.

She drove a military jeep and walked into my sanctuary with muddy shoes.

I scrutinized her face with mixed feelings, but somehow, her expression was quite different from what I had expected.

"Wow..."

Her eyes showed considerable shock.

"Quite the living conditions here."

It did seem like living conditions here.

"What, like this? Here? What's wrong with this garbage? Is this a place for people to live?"

But is it right to express such strong disgust?

So, what about my underground shelter?

With a slight sense of pride, I revealed my sanctuary to her.

I opened the heavy bunker door and revealed my secret main shelter to someone else.

"Welcome to the Skeleton Proud Palace...!!"

"!!"

The emotion that appeared in Kim Daram's eyes was surprise.

Well, of course.

Who else could create such a large, splendid, and magnificent underground shelter on an individual basis?

"Did Senior make all this?"

"Proud."

It's possible because it's me.

But Kim Daram's amazement quickly turned into disappointment and disdain.

"What is this, a toilet?"

Moreover, the expression I interpreted as amazement was actually shock.

Kim Daram turned away and muttered.

"...You can't raise a child in a place like this."

Only then did I notice a clear emblem hidden in the clothes she was wearing.

Yes, she always wore good clothes.

She worked in an office with a good view, where the air smelled nice, while listening to the voice of the chairmen.

No matter how much life pushed her away, she had climbed too high for me, to places that my feeble imagination couldn't fathom.

"I'm really grateful for your consideration, but it would be difficult to live here. I realized that Dongtak has a fear of confined spaces."

She showed me a picture of her son.

"Hey, you named him well."

"What does it mean?"

I asked her with half-anger and half-relief.

"Well, you'll have to figure out how to survive on your own."

Kim Daram burst into laughter.

"I'm Kim Daram."

"Daram..."

"I'm the one who called you even when I was under that professor."

As she laughed heartily, the image of the past Kim Daram overlapped with her face.

Yes, this girl was overly positive.

To the point of being foolish.

"I won't give up on going to Jeju Island, but I also have to consider contacting the military. I'm thinking about the warlords too."

Kim Daram handed me a luxurious paper bag.

"Here, a gift."

Inside the bag were high-end pastries.

As she was about to get in her car, she turned to look at me.

"You don't seem to have aged at all, but you do look a bit older in the sunlight."

"Is, is that so?"

"Is it because your expression has brightened?"

She stared at me intently.

"Have you met any women lately?"

"No."

"Anyway, I'll contact you once I have a plan."

She appeared like a whirlwind and then disappeared. I watched her for a while with a faint smile tinged with bitterness.

Everything is relative.

Someone else's proud paradise can look like a pitfall to someone else.

The cookies she left behind inevitably spoke of this bittersweet reality.

"Wow, damn."

These cookies are really high-quality.

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