Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Terracorp (1)

Total War.

The concept implies mobilizing all available resources to fight when a nation faces a crisis of survival. Even during the Korean War, Korea did not go to the extremes of total war, but this time, the current conflict was an exception.

This was because the infected neither surrender nor accept it, and they have no concept of human rights or morality. It’s a choice between our extinction or theirs.

Men were conscripted to the front lines, leaving no stone unturned, even enlisting prisoners, while women were mobilized at the rear for medical work and production. Industrial facilities were also requisitioned to manufacture military supplies.

“Walkers are lingering around. It’s like they’re standing guard or something.”

Through the telescope, there stood walkers all over the dock behind the factory. The target of this external expedition, the Terracorp industrial facility, is a factory for manufacturing civilian helicopters.

Besides the facility itself, it’s also a strategic transportation point as it sits adjacent to a canal behind the factory. Thanks to this, it was immediately requisitioned and used as a military repair station when the war broke out.

Although it's quite a distance from the shelter, it’s a place we absolutely have to secure as we’ll need an aerial transport for the journey ahead. Moreover, with no sizable cities or towns along the route, the long distance itself doesn’t pose a real threat. However, there is one problem: footage from the ground sent by airborne drones.

A gigantic mutated infected, called a juggernaut, so heavy it shook the ground with its mere movement. Not just that cursed thing, but thousands of walkers were positioned in a cluster directly in front of the factory. All of them were once refugees.

In a total war situation, refugee tents almost represent a labor office. At the height of the war, thousands of tents were set up in the plains outside the factory. The government had an ethical responsibility to care for its citizens and needed labor. Refugees, in turn, hoped for slightly better food and protection.

With both sides’ interests aligned, numerous tent villages formed around the requisitioned military factories.

Boom! Boom!

Now, they’re nothing more than nests for monsters. Facing them head-on would be suicide. Compared to them, my expedition force is nothing more than a handful. But if we want to enter the industrial facility, we absolutely have to break through that group. At least, if we’re entering through the main gate.

“This was the right path to take.”

We were hundreds of meters away from the drones.

The canal, completed only two years ago, remained clean despite minimal maintenance. The riverbank where we stood was overgrown with lush grass and trees, and the path was a dirt trail rich with the fresh scent of nature.

In the center of the canal, two healthy mallards swam leisurely, feeding. They seemed to have learned that as long as they stayed away from the shore, they were safe.

It looked like one of them had just caught a fish. Its tiny orange feet flapped in the air, dangling while it dove underwater. The ripples reflected the sunlight, creating a brilliant halo. It was a scene so beautiful, it could evoke memories of a peaceful world before the war—if only one didn’t look toward the factory.

“Only three skirmishes on the way here—this APC is performing admirably.”

We arrived here using the new APC Artemis developed. Unlike a typical APC, it was designed with survival against infected in mind, rather than combat with humans. Though its armor is light, it has high mobility and low noise, and is exceptionally resilient against frontal impacts.

Thanks to this, in urgent situations, we could run over most obstacles, even vehicles, without stopping. Combined with drone reconnaissance, we could almost entirely avoid combat.

[Are you ready?]

Artemis asked.

“That’s the kind of question you ask rookies.”

We planned to enter the factory by underwater infiltration. The accompanying robots didn’t need to breathe and were waterproof, so I was the only one who needed to be prepared.

“I’ve never done an underwater mission before, but I’m in perfect shape. I’ve trained thoroughly.”

I had repeated underwater infiltration training multiple times through VR training at the shelter.

[Didn’t you say VR training didn’t even count?]

Artemis teased lightly.

“Even if I don’t like it, in war, you use whatever you need. In today’s world, where else could you train for underwater infiltration? And…”

I looked down at the integrated diving-suit I was wearing. This amphibious infiltration suit, developed by Artemis, was excellent not only for underwater activity but also functioned as a protective suit.

“Nothing you’ve made has ever disappointed me—not cooking, equipment, medical procedures, training programs, or anything else.”

[Of course.]

I walked into the water. The black-painted robots followed me. The latest model, clad in a dense plastic over an alloy frame and with enhanced silicone on their soles. They were called “Marauders.”

Although slightly less durable than the older “Sleepless” series, they were lighter and more agile. Perfectly optimized for infiltration missions where stealth and speed were crucial.

Since their production was limited, only eight could be deployed, but we didn’t intend to engage in direct combat anyway. Even with noise reduction measures, a vehicle is a vehicle. If we brought more than two, we would draw too much attention.

“Submerging.”

The robots, heavy enough to sink, began to walk along the riverbed, and I followed by holding onto their shoulders.

The gas mask Artemis provided was similar to the one in the movie Avatar. The fully transparent front made it easy to see, and it was strong enough to block handgun bullets. Linked with a small oxygen tank near the neck, it allowed underwater breathing, making it essential for this mission.

[The oxygen tank isn’t exactly abundant. Always keep an eye on the time remaining.]

I made an okay sign with my thumb and forefinger in front of the cam camera, then raised my thumb in approval. I could hear her chuckle.

Upon arriving near the dock, I looked up from below the surface. Even through the rippling and distorted view, the repulsiveness of the monsters above remained untainted.

[Just as planned, let’s handle this quietly.]

With a faint sound, I lifted my head slightly above the surface. In front of me was the foot of a walker. It was just a step or two from splashing into the water, yet, even with its staggering movements, it never stepped in.

Swimming, like a helicopter flying, requires delicate coordination, guided by high intelligence. If a land-dwelling infected fell into the water, it would simply drown. This instinct seemed ingrained in it.

In war, the way to victory is to exploit the enemy’s weaknesses. So I reached out, grabbed the walker’s ankle, and yanked it in.

Splash!

It sank without even a chance to scream. It stared around bewilderedly, underwater, until its gaze met mine.

"Kkororororok!"

It tried to scream while glowing, but all that came out was the sound of water filling its lungs. In a movie, this would be the moment for a few dramatic stabs with a military knife before a cool toss. But there was no need for that.

The panicking walker looked down to see an unyielding grip around its ankle. As it looked further, it saw several robots with glowing red eyes lying in wait on the dark riverbed. The robot holding the walker's ankles pulled it further down.

Glub…

Now, with its lungs full of water, it spat out a few bubbles and opened its mouth, gasping like a fish. If it still had any intelligence, it would focus on escaping to avoid drowning, but creatures like it didn’t have the mental capacity for that. The flailing limbs, desperate to attack me, quickly lost strength and soon went still.

Even so, its eyes tracked me, filled with a disturbing mix of malice and obsession for anything outside its own kind.

One robot drew a knife and severed the spine at the back of the neck, causing its eyes to roll before it finally died. The robot then pushed the lifeless walker toward the riverbank, sending the body diagonally upward. There was a faint splash as the body surfaced and drifted away.

Splash! Splash!

It wasn’t just here. At other piers dozens of meters away, walkers were also being pulled under one by one. Yet there was no actual fight.

The flailing walkers and the silent, red-eyed soldiers holding onto their ankles. It was reminiscent of the Japanese folklore creature kappa, a water goblin that dragged people into rivers to drown them. Of course, these kinds of riverside monster tales are common across cultures worldwide.

Splash. Splash.

Corpses with waterlogged lungs and severed spines floated up. A modern-day riverside monster tale was playing out before my eyes. And we were the friendly monsters.

***

Once the dock was clear, we emerged from the water. Nearly ten bodies floated away. By now, the ducks in the canal had multiplied to seven. They paddled eagerly toward the bodies with their actions showing familiarity with this routine, while more ducks began arriving.

Turning away from this scene, we headed toward the factory’s back gate.

Pew! Pew!

The new silencer spat out bullets aimed at the docked boats.

Sounds of bullets piercing glass.

Sounds of flesh and skull being penetrated.

Sounds of bullets embedding in plywood walls.

Sounds of bodies thudding down.

Compared to other sounds, the gunshot made a barely audible noise.

The secret lay in the special foam inside the silencer. The foam let bullets pass through without resistance, like bubbles, but held back combustion gases as if with a sticky web. By the time the slowed gas went through the baffle course, its speed and pressure were almost gone.

It offered performance unmatched by any silencer, though its large size and frequent maintenance were drawbacks.

"This guy's American, isn’t he?"

One of the dead walkers was wearing a U.S. military uniform.

[Unarmed. Probably a maintenance worker.]

This is just a requisitioned repair facility. Why would the U.S. military be here?

We kept advancing until we reached the back gate. All factory doors were shut, with shutters pulled down. Likely, the survivors inside had initiated emergency lockdown when things got critical. Forcing the doors open would trigger a loud alarm.

“Lucky us. The interior might be clean.”

I registered my ID on the entry system mounted on the wall by the back entrance.

[Authentication complete. Welcome, Commander Seo Jinsoo.]

The lock on the side door clicked open. With heightened senses, I heard faint sounds beyond the door.

“Prepare to fire.” As I gripped the door handle, the robots took their firing stances.

—Boom!!!

And the world slowed down.

A door anyone could open easily felt as heavy as stone. But I could open it. It wasn’t really heavy. The world had slowed, and the door followed suit. Every muscle in my body screamed as I moved ahead of time itself. Each speck of dust impacted me sequentially, bouncing away.

With the door halfway open, I twisted my body to slip inside. Four walkers came into view. None of them had noticed me yet.

When the door was 70% open, and I was fully inside, they finally sensed something unusual. The face of the one on the left slowly turned toward me, revealing the tip of sharp teeth emerging from its closing mouth.

The eye of the one on the right, staring into the void, gradually lowered diagonally, eventually settling on me. The two in the center were worse off, looking in the opposite direction. How long would it take them to turn toward me?

By now, my index finger had already acted four times.

Two shots for the two in the middle.

As bullets drilled through the back of their heads, hair rippled in concentric waves. For a split second, the bullet holes contracted, only to expand moments later, spraying blood and brain matter. The vile liquid sprayed through the air bore no resemblance to the radiant sweat from sex with Nina.

The one on the right died content, having managed to lower its eye to within 50 cm of me. It probably never realized who had shot it.

The last one, on the left, took a bullet through the temple. It didn’t manage to look at me either. Like a train passing through the safety screen at a subway station, the bullet tunneled through the target’s eye socket.

I let go of my acceleration.

Its eye rolled forward, no longer held by its severed optic nerve, as crushed brain matter oozed from its empty socket. The creature fell over.

[You alright?]

Artemis asked with a worried tone.

“Perfect. Couldn’t be better.”

My first practical use of acceleration was flawless.

“Any movement outside?”

[None.]

The factory interior was dark. The red eyes of the robots entering through the side door provided the only light source. But even during my active-duty days, I rarely fought in bright settings. If it’s hard for us to see, it’ll be hard for the enemy to see us.

I melted into the shadows with the robots. Just as I was trained, just as I built my career.