Chapter 339 – Soon to Be Released
The war with the Chinese army is over.
I came out of the remote command VR machine, washed cleanly, had a meal, and slept.
After that, the gruesome battle just now went away from me, as if it had been a dream.
No matter how much you wash, there is no smell of gunpowder or blood coming from your hands. Even when I was still, my heart didn’t race and my hands and feet didn’t tremble.
When I went to work at the central control room the next morning, it felt like everyday life was like any other day.
“Welcome.”
As we sat down and were welcomed by Artemis, refreshments were set up.
“I wonder if this is what a high-ranking general in war feels like.”
“What does it feel like?”
Unlike me in proper work clothes, Artemis is wearing dolphin pants and a tank top.
Did he want to come out and relax after being in the incubator for a while? I’m doing something similar to yoga with a large mat on the floor.
“Even though fierce fighting took place on the front lines, not a whiff of gunpowder reached where I was, right?”
There is a distance of hundreds of kilometers between the battlefield and this place, and there are rock walls and protective walls that even nuclear weapons cannot penetrate.
“I just go about my business surrounded by the smell of paper and the smell of coffee brewed by the officer on duty. “I never thought I would end up doing the same thing as the high-ranking people who looked at me crookedly during my military service.”
“Get used to it. In the future, your command will be carried out through your avatar. You rolled as much as you could on site, right? … Put it next to it.”
Artemis, who was speaking in the posture of a king dove, gave an order to her maid who approached.
Steaming tea and fruit are placed next to a wide mat like a mat.
I think it looks like the sacred command and control room has become too relaxed, but I can’t point out anything.
By nature, regulations and procedures are meant to prevent mistakes and increase work efficiency, but Artemis always produced the best results without making a single mistake.
Plus, unlike me, you don’t necessarily have to pay attention or listen. You are probably looking at all the screens that appear on the central control room screen.
“It was swept away cleanly.”
The second North Korean air raid shelter expedition team arrived at the battlefield and transmitted the surrounding situation.
They were waiting as a reserve unit at the Kaesong Industrial Complex, but thanks to the nuclear ending, they no longer had to worry about defense and were able to dispatch right away.
The intense scene has been cleaned up like a yard swept by a cannon blower.
There are no muddy battle scenes, no groans of wounded soldiers, no blood stains, and no rotting corpses here and there. The lumps of flesh on the battlefield were charred black and then blown away by the nuclear blast.
There was no distinction between those who tried to fight until the end and those who surrendered and ran away.
“Are there any remnants of the defeated soldiers who fled to the north?”
“We’re tracking, but we can’t see a single one. Isn’t it obvious? Even if you run hard with your feet, it is impossible to escape the explosion range. No matter how you survive, you won’t last long because of the radiation exposure.”
No matter how worst-case the situation is, there doesn’t seem to be any chance of further problems caused by the Chinese military.
“Then we can start right away, right?”
“No problem. There is residual radiation, but it is within the acceptable range for robots.”
A large pit appears on the screen.
This is North Korea’s secret air raid shelter that collapsed and was revealed at the end of the battle. Thanks to this, there was no need to bother breaking through the main gate of the Labor Center.
The hole at the Chinese army’s main base, which directly caused the use of nuclear weapons, collapsed due to an explosion and is blocked.
“Let’s find out what he’s hiding and why he was having such a fuss with the Chinese guys.”
When my order was given, the expedition team jumped into the pit one by one.
* * *
The dirt floor illuminated by the central control room screen quickly got closer.
Boom!
The first stalker to land is on guard, pointing his gun in all directions, while the follow-up troops fall one after another.
The bottom was quite deep, but there was no need for ropes. When going down, just jump, and when going up, you can also rock climb with bare hands.
[No movement detected.]
In the aftermath of the nuclear explosion, a lot of dirt fell, but traces of Chinese troops and infectious agents remain throughout the pit.
This is thanks to the distance from the center of the explosion and the fact that it was a pit ten of meters below, so it was not hit directly by radiant heat and shock waves.
The shape of the corpse can be recognized without difficulty.
“Listen to the one in the best condition.”
According to my instructions, the Predator, who was acting as a scout, captured a walker.
The Predator’s combat ability is lower than that of the Stalker, but it is an entity specialized in intrusion and interrogation.
In order to torture, you must be able to clearly see the state of the other person’s body. It has the function of scanning and analyzing the human physical condition on site.
“You’re so skinny.”
“It looks like it was in hibernation for a long time without even the slightest amount of nutrition.”
Analysis was performed sequentially on each body part, including the arms, legs, and torso, which were captured large on the screen.
Damage caused by a nuclear explosion is removed, and the original condition is measured and visualized
It could be seen that Walker’s body was already in an emaciated state from the time it poured out of the sinkhole.
This is not an uncommon feature for walkers found in closed indoor spaces.
As I searched through research institutes and government buildings to obtain technology and records, crooked walkers would pop out from time to time.
“Anyway, it worked out. If those who have been trapped for a long time are this dry, it means they have not had contact with edible organic matter.”
We have already experienced many disasters when infectious agents come into contact with organic matter (food) warehouses.
“It’s not necessarily good news? “The fact that there was no access to preserved food, which is the basics of a bomb shelter, means that there is a possibility that it was an empty place with no supplies to begin with.”
“… I am satisfied with the Chinese military and the nuclear risk being dealt with.”
“Well, looking at the change in blood flow, it seems like you’re very upset, right?”
Artemis chuckled as she relaxed her yoga pose.
Sit cross-legged, raise your teacup, and drink elegantly. It was a strange combination of East and West.
“It’s nice to have a good stomach.”
“Could you please stop treating us like humans who confuse visual and taste stimuli?”
Despite the ugly image appearing on the expedition screen, Artemis naturally sipped her tea.
“It didn’t take long from the soldiers falling into the pit to the explosion, but it was a huge blow.”
The corpses of the Chinese soldiers shown on the screen were in worse condition than those of the infected body.
Aside from the damage caused by heat and shock waves, traces of being devoured by hungry monsters can be seen everywhere.
There is nothing more to investigate in the pit now. The second expedition entered North Korea’s secret air raid shelter through a dark hole.
* * *
“Is this… A shelter?”
When I saw the inside of the North Korean air raid shelter, I was speechless.
The concrete walls seen here and there are crumbling like leftover Baekseolgi rice cakes. The rebar sticking out in between is already full of rust.
“This is erosion that occurred completely separate from the nuclear explosion.”
Water leaks are occurring all over the ceiling and walls. You can see water ranging from small droplets to water flowing in the form of noodles.
“The leak is so bad. The emergency pump doesn’t seem to be working either. “If it had come from groundwater rather than a burst pipe, it would have had a direct impact on the sinkhole.”
“Driving groundwater for domestic use weakened the ground?”
“Yes.”
“Haha…”
I hate to think that I would have made such a rudimentary yet dangerous mistake.
On the screen, I alternately saw the ugly appearance of North Korea’s bomb shelter and the central control room.
It’s not something I can afford. This place is clean and neat as if the passage of time has passed since its completion.
“What did you expect?”
Artemis seemed to like my movements. That beautiful voice is full of pride and satisfaction.
“No matter what, it must have been built by order of the national leader.”
Durability isn’t the only issue. The shape and scale were also very different.
Unlike our shelter, which is built in the shape of a huge dome, that one is just a basement-shaped structure made of layers.
It would be nice to imagine the inside of a department store with the shelves cleared out.
“I think at this rate, a few hundred people, let alone 10,000, would be put off.”
This was my impression.
“Considering the state of North Korea right before the infection war, isn’t it great that something like this was built? The North Korean leadership must have felt a chill in their heads to build a facility that openly said, ‘We’ll survive alone!’ It must have been difficult in many ways.”
“Maybe so. But if I live here year after year, I will be mentally exhausted. “It’s like some kind of back room, isn’t it?”
The reason why a huge dome-shaped structure is good in a closed circulation system is because it can artificially implement morning, lunch, dinner, and night.
If the feeling of living in a basement continues for a long time every day, I can’t bear it.
“It looks like the emergency power has gone out.”
The emergency lights that were supposed to be here and there were turned off, so it was pitch dark inside. The only source of light was the flash produced by the robots.
It was also intended to draw out any remaining infectious agents, but no one has attacked yet.
“Were they all the ones who flocked to the sinkhole?”
If you combine the Chinese army’s main camp and this entrance, it would have been hundreds of people.
“There’s no way they’d miss the sight of a huge battle going on overhead, with screaming and loud drinking going on, right? They were probably huddled together on the side closest to the ground.”
“And then the moment the ground hit, they all rushed in at once?”
“Maybe they contributed to the collapse of the land.”
The robots that advanced with guns pointed pushed forward smoothly. The corpses that appeared were rotting without a single piece of flesh.
[Remains found.]
When I looked at the remains up close, there were laceration marks from head to toe all over the remains where teeth had scratched them.
Finding the way was easy.
Although it was dark and damaged, directions were placed here and there, and large promotional posters were posted in important passageways.
‘A safe nest! I’m thirsty for that hot love!’
It was written in large letters on red cloth, so it was very noticeable.
[Discovery of a hibernating object.]
As we entered a certain depth, infectious agents were discovered, but the number was small, and the condition was poor.
Phew!
The bullet fired through the silencer pierced the head at once.
It was as dry as a mummy, so it felt more like mutilating a corpse than killing an infectious agent.
[Gee… Eh…]
Sometimes, even those that notice in advance and stand up move very poorly.
“Even if we were to be confined just before the infection war, would we have starved for roughly 5 years?”
A walker wearing a military uniform falls down with a hole in his forehead.
Unlike our shelter, where most workers were workers, half of the people here were wearing military uniforms. However, no armed troops are visible, perhaps because all the weapons have been collected.
At most, only a club was hanging on the waist of the military uniform.
[I found a VIP room for high-ranking people.]
Team 2 reported.
When the screen switched to the visualization of the second team, a large hall-like area appeared.
Unlike other places that have a stale, cold underground feel, this place has a luxurious and warm atmosphere even though it has been abandoned for a long time.
Was it like a last supper?
The long, wide table in the center is covered with red cloth, and various plates, cutlery, and candleholders are placed on top.
Although the food on the plate had rotted and shriveled a long time ago, I could still feel how luxurious the last supper had been.
Infected bodies and remains were scattered here and there.
One skeleton was sitting on a chair, and as it decomposed, its head fell onto a plate on the table, creating a bizarre scene.
“It’s a gunshot wound.”
When Artemis zoomed in on the fallen remains, holes were seen in the forehead and temple areas.
[Grrrr
They seem to have noticed the presence of the intruding stalkers, and they stand up one by one, writhing here and there.
As expected, everyone is skinny and weak.
They slowly approach the stalkers pointing their guns at the entrance to the hall, but they are very slow.
Some people even broke their ankles while walking.
At this level, if you give just one baseball bat to the youth of the police, you can subdue them without harm.
However, there was just one entity exception.
[Keeeeek-!!! Kkeeeeek-!!!]
The loud roar heard for the first time after breaking into the North Korean air raid shelter.
A walker got up from the head of the dinner table and approached with lively steps.
Thud! Kudang!
The scrawny walkers that hit him fell like bowling pins.
Those who fell, perhaps unable to withstand the shock alone, suffer like osteoporosis patients.
“Well, that is…”
Even I, who had been calm since I had seen so many walkers, jumped out of my seat in surprise.
In general, during the mutation process, walkers change into an appearance that is far removed from their original appearance, making it impossible to recognize the original.
But at this moment, that object on the screen is an exception.
A unique hairstyle reminiscent of kkakdugi!
Because of how much fat he had accumulated during his lifetime, he had a strong body all by himself while others were mummified for 5 years!
A black dress with a white shirt that you’ve seen on the news a few times!
A man automatically popped into my head.
