The Apocalypse Regressor's All-Purpose Shelter

VROOOOOM...!

The fishing boat cut through the current as it moved upstream along the Bukhan River.

Just like the looter in the black cap had said, there were neither threats nor obstacles of any kind.

Though narrower than the Han River, the Bukhan River was still fundamentally a massive river over three hundred meters wide.

The engine noise of the boat was loud, but not enough for zombies on roads or in villages to hear.

And even if they did hear it, there was nothing zombies could do against a boat racing through the middle of the river at twenty knots per hour, roughly forty kilometers.

“Deokcheol! Don’t push the speed too hard! We have to match the drone’s flight speed!”

“Yes sir!”

Park Deokcheol shouted loudly in response to Junho’s yell.

It was understandable that he was excited after piloting a boat again for the first time in a while, but they absolutely had to maintain pace with the scouting drones flying several hundred meters ahead and behind the boat.

VROOOOOOM...!

Thus, the boat carrying Junho and the others sliced through the water under the escort of scouting drones controlled by Yoon Youngsu and AI Akina.

And only thirty-some minutes after departing from the dock of the water leisure sports center, they passed Seojong Bridge and soon had Sincheongpyeong Bridge before their eyes.

“This is seriously amazing. If we’d traveled by car, it would’ve taken over an hour.”

“Not an hour. It might’ve taken over half a day. Think back to Bucheon.”

“Ah.”

At Yoon Seolhee’s words, Choi Hyunwoo nodded.

Although not on the level of a major city like Bucheon, the roads leading upstream along the Bukhan River were lined continuously with small and large villages packed full of pensions.

And among them were famous tourist destinations like Daeseong-ri.

Maybe it would be different in another season, but everyone knew how many people would’ve been around the Bukhan River region in mid-August—the exact period when the infection outbreak began and the number of tourists heading out for water activities reached its peak.

Passing through places like that by car was no different from suicide.

Of course, they could travel mainly through mountain roads while using drone reconnaissance to discover and eliminate zombies or looters that might become threats beforehand.

But if they did that, just as Yoon Seolhee had said, moving twenty kilometers could easily take over half a day.

“Come to think of it, Mr. Go Seokjin at the nursing home really was incredibly lucky.”

At Yoon Seolhee’s words, Junho gave a bitter smile and nodded.

“He really was lucky. The restaurant he ran happened to be beside a national highway, and he succeeded because he drove mainly through highways where there usually weren’t many cars.”

If someone told him to do the same thing again, there was a ninety-percent chance he’d fail. Go Seokjin, the “fiery filial son,” had been extraordinarily lucky. Perhaps the heavens really did help a rare filial son.

“By the way, boss. Junhyeok and the others will be okay, right?”

Having remembered something from the nursing home discussion, Choi Hyunwoo asked with a slightly uneasy expression.

Junho smirked and answered,

“There’s nothing to worry about. There aren’t any Alphas, and they’re all bastards that’ve been trapped inside houses for a long time, so they can probably handle them even without guns.”

While Junho and his group were away on the Nami Island expedition, our shelter combat squads and the Gahyeon-ri search-and-extermination teams planned to “completely” eliminate the zombies remaining in Gahyeon-ri.

Until now, they had exterminated the bastards inside the “safe zone” where roads had been blocked off using containers and furniture centered around the elementary school, along with the ones inside houses adjacent to the barricades.

But due to problems like foul odors and possible infectious diseases, everyone agreed they should completely clean out all of Gahyeon-ri before the real heat began.

“Still, there were hundreds of houses that hadn’t been checked yet. And there’ll probably be tons of zombies.”

“The bastards trapped inside houses for a long time are weak because they haven’t eaten properly. And we need to finish it while it’s still cool enough to wear long sleeves and long pants if possible. Once summer hits, people’ll roast to death.”

Maybe Junho himself would be fine, but for everyone else, spending long hours outdoors in broad daylight while wearing clothes thick enough to block zombie bites along with protective gear would be difficult now that it was May.

So they planned to work during the cool mornings and evenings as much as possible while using lighting equipment.

“And compared to that, we’re the ones in greater danger, so Hyunwoo, you need to keep your head on straight even more. Zombies holed up inside houses are at least somewhat predictable and manageable, but looters are different.”

“And those bastards even have guns. No matter how much ballistic equipment we have, we still need to be careful.”

When even Yoon Seolhee added on, Choi Hyunwoo swallowed dryly and nodded.

“Yes, ma’am. I absolutely won’t overdo it, and I’ll definitely listen to everything you and boss say.”

“Huh!? Boss Junho! Check the drone!”

At that moment, Park Deokcheol, gripping the small steering wheel at the helm, raised his voice.

Thinking maybe zombies or looters had appeared, Junho quickly checked the tablet screen and narrowed his eyes.

“The dam floodgates are still the same...?”

About one kilometer upstream past Sincheongpyeong Bridge, there was a dam used for hydroelectric power generation.

- Four hundred meters ahead. Two vehicles confirmed on the sandbank beneath the floodgates.

- Vehicle type: large electric SUVs. No threats detected inside the vehicles or within a three-hundred-meter radius.

At Akina’s report, Junho immediately understood the situation.

“So those are the vehicles the Nami Island recon team arrived in.”

It was obvious they had transported people and equipment there by vehicle before descending by boat.

This had happened because the looter in the black cap had been too terrified and incoherent for them to obtain precise information.

“Expand reconnaissance radius to one kilometer.”

- Confirmed.

While the drone scouted the wide sandbank along with nearby roads and villages, Junho and Yoon Seolhee carefully observed the floodgates and hydroelectric power plant with high-magnification digital monoculars.

- No threats within a five-hundred-meter radius.

- Numerous threats detected beyond the old Cheongpyeong Road past the Gyeongchun Line tracks and hillside.

That was likely because beyond that point began a full residential area with apartment complexes and schools.

In any case, after confirming there was nothing unusual nearby, Junho instructed Park Deokcheol to move the boat close to the sandbank.

And Park Deokcheol, who was exceptionally skilled at handling boats, immediately stopped the vessel the instant the stern lightly touched bottom.

“Looks like this boat only goes this far. Let’s unload the gear.”

Although over twenty kilometers still remained before reaching Nami Island if they continued along the Bukhan River, Junho already had everything planned out.

***

While Park Deokcheol hid the boat well within a forest of reeds and silver grass taller than a person before returning to the sandbank where the others had disembarked,

Junho searched the surrounding area and the two vehicles that almost certainly belonged to the Nami Island looters.

There wasn’t even a rat in sight on the sandbank or in the nearby small village.

'Once this is over, it might be okay to expand our outpost this far too.'

Then, even if zombies or looters came down from the Gapyeong or Chuncheon directions, they would spot them first.

At the same time as dealing with the Nami Island looters, this was also a chance to expand surveillance range all the way to the Gangwon-do border region.

“They drove down here following Hoban Road.”

Part of the low fence separating the riverside from the road had been removed, and tire tracks from the two vehicles extended right up to it.

“Boss, what do we do now?”

Choi Hyunwoo, overloaded with baggage while trying to live up to his size, asked.

The answer came from Yoon Seolhee.

“We drive.”

“...Huh?”

When Choi Hyunwoo blinked, Yoon Seolhee pointed toward the two SUVs abandoned on the sandbank.

“Local procurement of necessary equipment is basic procedure. There’s plenty of fuel and battery charge too, so we’ll use them.”

“G-good idea.”

And just like that, the decision was made simply.

The group loaded their equipment into the two large SUVs belonging to the looters and drove onto the national highway.

***

The national highway called Hoban Road was eerily empty, without a single car in sight.

Thus, the SUVs carrying the group leisurely drove upstream along the Bukhan River as though they were out on a riverside drive.

But it only looked that way from the outside. Those inside the vehicles still had not relaxed their vigilance.

“Manager. What’s the battery status on Drone Number 2?”

- Still above fifty percent.

“Good. Keep monitoring battery status carefully. If you detect any abnormalities, report them immediately.”

- Understood.

From Cheongpyeong-myeon onward, they were outside our shelter’s wireless communication range, so the group communicated by radio while directly piloting the drones themselves.

With follow mode enabled, one drone monitored a two-hundred-meter radius above the vehicles carrying the group.

The other flew two hundred meters ahead of the lead vehicle Junho was riding in while conducting forward reconnaissance.

“There’s nothing unusual ahead, boss. But did you develop this too?”

Staring intently at the real-time feed from the drone set to automatic flight, Choi Hyunwoo asked.

“Yeah. Even quiet roads like this are dangerous.”

Even on roads like these surrounded only by mountains and rivers with no people, cars, or zombies, they could not lower their guard.

On nearly every national highway in the country with terrain similar to this area, management had completely ceased, allowing vegetation to grow so wildly that the roadsides resembled untamed primeval forests.

Perfect terrain for looters or zombies under Alpha control to conceal themselves in.

“Check thoroughly. And pay close attention if you spot a dock.”

“Yes, sir.”

Since this was the road the Nami Island recon team had used, nothing particularly dangerous would probably happen.

What Junho was searching for with the drones was the point where the bastards had supposedly docked their boats beyond the hydroelectric power plant.

Even by car, it was still over twenty kilometers from here to the vicinity of Nami Island.

There was no way they would have risked traveling that entire distance by vehicle, meaning they must have used boats from Nami Island to a certain point.

'Should I’ve squeezed more detailed information out of him...?'

But the looter in the black cap had only joined the Nami Island group three months ago, so he did not know everything.

Besides, he had been so terrified that he rambled incoherently and could barely speak properly, which limited the interrogation.

“Oh? Boss, I think I found it.”

“Really? Hmm, yeah, that’s it.”

After checking the tablet mounted on the dashboard, Junho nodded.

A government vessel dock located beside the national highway.

And moored there was a sleek-looking motorboat that was obviously meant for water leisure use.

'Things are going suspiciously smoothly....'

At this rate, it seemed likely they would arrive near Nami Island, their target location, before sunset and carry out the operation tonight.

***

“Ah, fuck! This is such a pain in the ass!”

“What can we do if we’re told to go!? Let’s just think of it as going out for a little trip!”

VROOOOOM...!

Four men loudly talked aboard a motorboat speeding downstream along the Bukhan River.

“A trip my ass! We might have to stay there for days!”

“Come on, this is great! We get out of work and night shifts too! Just think of it as relaxing for a few days somewhere with good air and scenery!”

“Fuck! What’re the three of us supposed to do at some empty dock!? Play fucking Go-Stop!?”

They were Nami Island looters.

They were currently heading out under Park Gyumin’s orders to wait at the dock in advance for the recon team that would soon return and report the situation.

But the dock occupied by the Nami Island looters was an incredibly empty place with nothing around except a lone °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° old garden restaurant selling duck and chicken soup.

Naturally, they were dissatisfied at the thought of enduring at least two days, maybe three or four, in such a boring place.

“Heh-heh! I knew this would happen, so I prepared!”

One of the men rummaged through a bag and pulled something out.

“I brought a handheld game console and three different board games too. And... ta-da!”

“Oh! Fuck yeah!?”

The others cheered upon seeing the final item he pulled out.

Five or six bottles of soju and a zipper bag full of meat trimmed perfectly for grilling.

“Let’s have ourselves a company dinner!”

“This is it!”

“Man! Seriously, you’re the best!”

Even they, though technically included among the “ruling side,” could only eat meat and drink alcohol once a month.

Though even that was still something to be grateful for, they knew the truth.

Inside the food court warehouses were dozens of boxes filled with various alcohols, while hundreds of kilograms of frozen meat were stored in freezers.

And the real “rulers,” including Park Gyumin and Kim Geonwoo, controlled it all and distributed small amounts like they were doing everyone a favor.

“Ah fuck! Just looking at it makes me drool! Hyung! Hurry up! Zombies and all that shit don’t matter anyway!”

“Alright! Time to go full throttle for the first time in a while!”

VROOOOOOOOM!

The six-passenger motorboat roared with its heavy engine and began cutting through the current even faster.

And as the strong river wind blasted against them, the looters—former police officers and former Nami Island security staff—raised their voices even louder.

“Who are we!?”

“The rulers of the Bukhan River!”

“Fuck! Bring it all on!”

After traveling up and down the river dozens of times already, kidnapping, abusing, and murdering more people than they could even count, their minds had long since become slightly broken.

There was no way brains soaked in dopamine from massacres beyond ordinary violence, looting, and murder could remain normal.

And because of that, they neither noticed nor even thought to check the inflatable boat hidden on the small reed-covered island along the riverbank leading toward Cheongpyeong Lake, camouflaged with brush and trash.

And at the exact moment they slowed considerably while turning a curve—

TUTUTUTUK...! TUTUTUK...!

Junho and the other three, concealed in hiding, calculated the motorboat’s speed and distance precisely through the drone feed and pulled their triggers simultaneously.

“Aaaagh! Ghk!”

“Guugh...!”

The fired subsonic rounds and tungsten rounds instantly transformed both the bastards’ bodies and the motorboat hull into swiss cheese.

And the Nami Island looters learned the truth that if you don’t know, you deserve to get beaten—

by paying with their lives.