The Apocalypse Regressor's All-Purpose Shelter

Junho sprinted down the hidden passage leading toward the industrial road.

It was the exact same path he had accidentally discovered during his first visit after winning the shelter land and buildings at auction.

The guard post built there overlooked the industrial road, part of Gahyeon-ri, and even Yeondeok District and Cheondo-eup stretching past Guri all the way toward Seoul.

And now armed men riding electric bicycles had appeared right beside that industrial road.

- Video analysis complete. Probability of entry from the Cheongpyeong sector: 97 percent.

Hearing Akina’s report, Junho clicked his tongue inwardly.

When the unidentified armed individuals were first detected, he had assumed Jinjeop-eup was the more likely route of entry.

But the detailed analysis had settled firmly on Cheongpyeong instead.

Apparently the armed group had traveled during the night.

Part of the reason was that, due to power and overload concerns, the shelter concentrated AI resources at night solely on facility management and safe-zone surveillance.

And because the PTZ cameras switched into thermal-imaging mode during nighttime hours, their visibility range was shorter than during the day.

As a result, even the cameras installed around Yeongho-ri near the National Agricultural Cooperative warehouse had failed to detect them moving overnight.

- PTZ Camera 10. Anomaly detected.

- Four unidentified individuals. Traveling via electric bicycles and electric scooters. Recon Drone 004 moving to corresponding airspace.

“...!?”

Junho stopped running at the report of another group of intruders.

“Where’s PTZ Camera 10 located?”

- Daeseong-ri, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong County. Daeseong Tunnel entrance.

Thanks to the expanded wireless range established before the Bucheon expedition, they had been able to install PTZ cameras and CCTV systems along major routes for surveillance.

One of those cameras had found another group.

- Entering the tunnel. All individuals armed.

“Keep surveillance on that side with the recon drone.”

- Confirmed.

On the same day, at nearly the same time, they had found another armed group using electric-powered transportation.

'No way this is a coincidence.'

As that thought crossed Junho’s mind, Akina spoke again through his earpiece.

- PTZ Camera 11. Anomaly detected. Boat approaching from the Gapyeong sector. Four passengers aboard. Distance approximately 900 meters.

“Hah.”

A dry laugh escaped Junho before he could stop it.

PTZ Camera 11 was installed at the exact location where Lee Wonoh and the Welcome Karaoke Bar group were staying—the water leisure sports dock.

Which meant that someone from Cheongpyeong, Gapyeong, or maybe even Chuncheon had sent people southward by both land and the Bukhan River.

'Did the floodgates open?'

There were floodgates along the Bukhan River running down from Cheongpyeong Lake toward Namyangju.

Apparently those had been opened too, just like Paldang Dam.

Of course, the motorboat they had detected might have launched from somewhere below the floodgates.

But Junho considered that unlikely.

Because the very first place targeted by the Alphas that moved north along the Bukhan River would have been downtown Cheongpyeong-ri around Cheongpyeong Station.

To kill or avoid not only the multiple Alphas born there, but also additional Alphas moving along the river, and then travel all the way down here?

'The odds are basically nonexistent.'

Certain of that conclusion, Junho resumed running downhill along the mountain path.

“Warn the dispatched unit at the Yeongho-ri Agricultural Cooperative warehouse first. Warn the water leisure sports group too.”

- Confirmed.

Combat personnel sent by Major Lee Seokjin were stationed both at the warehouse and the leisure sports center where the Welcome Karaoke Bar survivors lived.

With those troops, the turrets, and the G1 drones there, there was nothing to worry about.

Besides—

“Only notify our shelter combat teams. Everyone except night-shift personnel goes on combat standby.”

- Confirmed.

The shelter also had veterans now—people who had already survived multiple real battles against zombies and looters.

Whoever these outsiders were, they had chosen an unbelievably unlucky and stupid target.

Though they obviously didn’t know it.

But in the apocalypse, ignorance did not earn forgiveness.

'Then they’ll have to pay for it.'

Of course, the best outcome would be for these groups—presumably all connected—to quietly pass through without causing trouble.

But somehow Junho doubted that would happen as he sped farther down the mountain trail.

***

“Don’t tense up too much. Just do exactly what you were taught.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Understood.”

At Kim Jaemun’s words—the former Marine drill instructor responsible for training both the shelter combat teams and the Gahyeon-ri extermination squad—Baek Suho and Choi Hyunwoo nodded.

“Hyunwoo, you already fought alongside Junho in Bucheon, right? And with the Capital Recapture Force too.”

“Yes.”

“Then there’s probably nothing left for me to teach you.”

“You think so, sir? Still, the environment here’s pretty different from Bucheon....”

Kim Jaemun had served in Pohang, but since they were both former Marines, Choi Hyunwoo naturally treated him like a senior.

“The environment’s different, yeah. But this place is actually easier than a city like Bucheon.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. And besides, here we’ve got these things too. Heh.”

Kim Jaemun tapped the various gear and weapons attached to his tactical vest and tactical belt, both reinforced with ballistic panels.

And now Choi Hyunwoo possessed the same equipment as Kim Jaemun.

Granted, his firearm was still a modified air rifle firing tungsten rounds.

But after already killing an Alpha with one back in Bucheon, Hyunwoo had absolutely no complaints.

In fact, he liked the modified air rifle even more than assault rifles like the K2C1 thanks to its quieter noise and superior accuracy.

“Oh right, Hyunwoo still hasn’t experienced Akina yet, huh?”

Baek Suho—talkative and naturally friendly enough to get close to anyone quickly—grinned as he spoke. Hyunwoo tilted his head.

“Experienced Akina? You mean the AI? I heard it doing recon reports with drones while following Junho here.”

“Ehhh, that’s just the basic level. If you compare it to ramen, that’s instant cup-noodle tier. You haven’t seen the real stuff yet. Maybe you’ll get a taste today.”

“...What?”

Hyunwoo still looked confused, so Kim Jaemun explained.

“You’ll understand once you experience it. Anyway, when the AI starts giving combat support? It’s completely broken. Total cheat-code nonsense.”

“Oh?”

“Just follow whatever Akina tells you to do. Then nobody gets hurt.”

“Yes, sir.”

At that moment, the cold female voice already completely familiar to Kim Jaemun and Baek Suho—but still slightly strange to Choi Hyunwoo—spoke through their headsets.

- Team One. Move toward the tunnel sector. Shelter member Lee Junhyeok awaiting arrival.

The moment Akina’s voice sounded, Kim Jaemun’s expression instantly hardened.

“Let’s move.”

“Yes!”

Yoon Seolhee, Park Deokcheol, and two other KJM Brothers members who had handled night duty were asleep.

But thanks to the stabilized rotation system, the shelter could now deploy at least three or four people at any time.

The three climbed aboard a multipurpose electric cart and headed through the shelter main gate toward the sealed tunnel.

Vrrrrr.

Two G1 drones followed behind the cart.

And that wasn’t all.

- A1 01 02. A2 03 04 on standby.

Four airborne attack drones were prepared for immediate deployment at any moment.

Against looters armed with knives, hatchets, and air rifles, it was somewhat—no, absurdly—overwhelming firepower.

- Safety first. Safety second too. If it looks like combat’s about to happen, we eliminate them before they even realize who hit them.

For a regressor like Junho, who had survived a world of endless shortages, danger, and suffering, excessive force was only natural.

This was exactly why he had poured so much money and time into preparing everything.

***

Vrrrrr.

Six electric bicycles sped down the industrial road.

Though the weather was slowly warming up, every man riding the bicycles still wore long sleeves, long pants, and crude protective gear in case zombies attacked.

“How much battery does everyone have left?”

“Probably enough for another thirty kilometers.”

“I’ve got forty.”

The electric bicycles they rode were expensive models capable of traveling long distances even using throttle-only motor driving.

And each person carried a spare battery too, so there should be no problems.

“But are we sure this is the right direction? Wouldn’t Jinjeop or Yeondeok District be better?”

At his companion’s question, the man pedaling beside him clicked his tongue.

“You idiot. Those are new cities packed with apartment complexes. Why the hell would we go there? If you want to commit suicide, do it yourself.”

“No, I mean... they said that place was paradise, right? Wouldn’t that mean more people and more supplies? Instead of some countryside dump like this?”

“Hah! This bastard seriously knows nothing. Places with lots of people also have lots of zombies. And you think people from a Seoul satellite city could actually work together to survive? Look what happened to Chuncheon.”

“Oh.”

“Oh my ass. Use your brain, dumbass.”

The leader, sighing at the newcomer who had only joined them a couple months ago, looked behind him.

“Alright, quick break. Let’s check the map and launch the drone here.”

“Yes!”

The six electric bicycles stopped along one side of the road.

Because industrial trucks had once used the road heavily and soundproof walls lined the sides, the surrounding countryside of rice fields and farmland was eerily empty of both zombies and people.

Still, the men didn’t lower their guard. After habitually checking the area, they regrouped.

Vrrrrr.

Soon a small drone flew upward.

Holding the controller, the leader thoroughly scanned several hundred meters around them and confirmed the area was safe.

“This place is seriously rural. Just a few warehouses and houses. Nothing else.”

“According to the map, if we go another four hundred meters and around the corner, there’s a pretty big town. Gahyeon-ri.”

“Yeah, I’m looking at it now.”

The drone they used had altitude restrictions enabled.

But thanks to its wide-angle camera and 8x zoom, it could still partially observe areas several kilometers away.

More than enough to identify dangerous areas with large apartment blocks, villa districts, or shopping zones likely filled with zombies.

“Hm. Weird.”

“What is?”

“The town’s pretty big, but there aren’t any zombies.”

“What?”

Though the distance made detailed observation difficult, Gahyeon-ri somehow looked strangely silent through the fully zoomed-in camera.

“Maybe because we’re only seeing the warehouse and factory entrance area? If we move closer and launch the drone again, we’ll probably get a better look.”

Gahyeon-ri was fairly large, and the main residential district was hidden behind mountains.

Because of the signal dead zone, the drone couldn’t reach that far from their current position.

“Ah, shit. Guess we’ll have to go to the corner and launch it again. Let’s move.”

“Yes. Seriously though, drones are such bullshit. With these things, you can spot zombies and avoid them way ahead of time.”

“Only the drones? These are bullshit too.”

The leader smirked while patting his electric bicycle.

“Unlocked the speed limiter too. Zombies can’t even catch us. Even Usain Bolt couldn’t.”

“That’s true. And we’ve got guns too.”

Only two of them had air rifles, but the weapons were absurdly effective.

They had already used them to effortlessly hunt hundreds of zombies—and humans.

“Fuck. Paradise or not, some countryside losers aren’t gonna be able to do shit against us. Hope we find the place fast.”

The leader confidently pressed down on the pedals.

Ever since the world collapsed, they had never once faced a true crisis.

Zombies couldn’t reach the island they lived on, while they themselves could freely travel outside using boats.

And with drones, air rifles, and various other equipment, hunting other survivors had never been difficult.

In this ruined world, they had remained invincible until now.

“Heh. Be even better if there are lots of women there.”

“Seriously.”

And so, believing this would be another easy victory as long as they avoided the special zombies called Alphas—

they continued moving toward the rumored survivor paradise in Namyangju.

Completely unaware that for the past ten minutes, their every movement had already been watched by the other side’s drones from several hundred meters overhead.

Or that hunters equipped with technology vastly beyond anything they proudly possessed—technology impossible to even compare—were already waiting for them.