Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 154.1: Pure Love (1)

Hiding a House in the Apocalypse-Chapter 154.1: Pure Love (1)

While I was briefly away from Seoul, word came from the Paju observatory that a large-scale eruption had been confirmed.
There were no signs that the massive group of monsters was headed toward Seoul, but the real problem was the scale.
For the first time in years, super-massive types that had never been observed before had emerged, along with hundreds of mid- to large-sized monsters.
Most of them naturally dissipated in the erosion zone, but for several days, we stayed awake in tense vigilance.
As it became increasingly clear that Kang Han-min had no intention of leaving Ganghwa Island, we were absorbed in developing a new defensive line around New Seoul using only our own forces.
The most traditional and effective way to block monsters is using natural terrain—rivers and the sea have long been favored as natural barriers, even before accurate information about monsters was properly researched.
At one point, claims related to rivers and water spread widely across hunter information boards.
“Monsters breathe, and if their breathing holes are blocked, they dissipate faster.”
This theory was soon debunked as complete nonsense.
A man in India proved it when he tried to resist monsters by spraying them with a fire hose, and closer to home, a monster was observed crawling directly up from a riverbed on the Chinese front line, confirming once again how false it was.
Of course, it is true that monsters tend to avoid bodies of water.
To be precise, monsters can travel through rivers, but if there’s an alternative route, they are highly likely to take land-based paths instead.
This trait was exploited to great effect on the Chinese defense line.
They created a sort of kill zone.
All bridges were destroyed except one, and firepower was concentrated on that single remaining bridge.
Unfortunately, that operation was canceled by orders from someone high up in the Chinese hierarchy.
That person had a simplistic idea—why waste shells when we can just destroy all the bridges? That naïve logic convinced the decision-maker, and the operation was executed as such.
The result was that dozens of monsters crawling along the riverbed took over the far bank.
Unlike back then, the current defense plan is entirely within the palm of my hand, but that doesn’t mean things are easier.
Because bridges are always tied to economic interests.
Depending on which bridge is destroyed, the damage could vary significantly for the people who rely on that bridge for transportation.
Recently, a new rising power in New Seoul has been what they call the “thugs.”
According to them, they aren’t thugs in the gangster sense people usually think of, but in the original post-Korean War meaning.
Originally, “thugs” referred to bands of ruffians who carried giant baskets on their backs and picked up anything they saw on the roadside with tongs—even children.
They chose that name because what they do is similar.
In other words, they’re scavengers.
But these scavengers have begun to wield considerable influence in the rapidly expanding economy of New Seoul.
The government’s supply distribution is limited, and these scavengers retrieve abandoned goods from the Gangbuk region and circulate them through the market.
Since these thugs have territorial preferences based on which bridges they use, coordinating that has become the biggest current issue.
Mediating between people is the hardest task in the world.
Especially as the situation worsens with the involvement of self-proclaimed “civil representatives”—pseudo-politicians.
And just then, something unexpected happened.
A group of fanatics renounced their faith and surrendered.
*
Fanatics aren’t under our jurisdiction.
The military handles fanatics.
Currently, the army defending New Seoul is divided into two major factions.
One is the corps faction originally led by Kim Byeong-cheol, and the other is the former government army under Woo Min-hee.
The government forces are larger and hold the upper hand.
In fact, they apparently look down on Kim Byeong-cheol’s soldiers as remnants of a military clique and frequently ignore his formal orders despite his status as commanding officer.
The military police investigation unit I visited this time also belonged to the government forces.
“It’s a sort of internal conflict.”
The fanatic investigation was being led by an Army captain named Shim Won-jae, whose face alone told you he was strict and uncompromising.
In the world of the corps faction, where “rank inflation” meant any mutt or dog wore the rose insignia, his rank was that of a junior officer. But for someone from a proper military background, that rank still held real authority.
Perhaps that’s why the metallic insignia on his chest gleamed excessively.
“These fanatics often capture people with nowhere to go and force them into crimes, creating a sense of shared guilt to trap them—basically a gang structure. This group seems to have done the same. But still, what kind of people are South Koreans? We’re the kind of nation that’s replaced our president multiple times. In the end, they fought among themselves, and the cult collapsed. The faction that surrendered is from the South.”
I found it strange.
Fanatics aren’t the type to be offered mercy.
Even if they surrender, the default response is summary execution.
So the fact that the military police had summoned me, even though I was already busy, meant there had to be a reason.
And sure enough, there was.
“Their leader was also abandoned when the cult disbanded. Of course, she’s an Awakened. According to the list of enemy Awakened compiled directly by Director Woo, she doesn’t reach over level 10, but has remarkable potential. It’s said she may undergo secondary awakening depending on growth.”
Those with value have their pasts overlooked.
Just like Nazi scientists, or Japanese human experimenters once did.
Apparently, this leader was a high-ranking figure on the list Woo Min-hee managed of enemy Awakened.
Still, I didn’t understand why I, who had nothing to do with Awakened affairs, was summoned.
So I asked.
“Did Director Woo call for me?”
“No. This was a decision made independently by our military leadership.”
“I don’t think this is in my area of responsibility.”
Seeing my skeptical expression, Shim Won-jae quietly handed me the leader’s profile and whispered.
“Just take a look at this.”
I looked at the profile.
Name: Ham Chun-ok.
Place of origin: North Korea, as expected.
But the attached photo—
Somehow, the face looked familiar.
It was strange.
It should have been a face I’d never seen before.
Maybe she resembled a famous celebrity?
They say beautiful faces tend to resemble each other for various reasons.
But no, that wasn’t it.
A certain nickname suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Ah.”
There was someone called ONE_FAITH.
The one who used to post fanatical advertisements on our sacred message board.
That bastard who got his posts ruthlessly deleted by this righteous admin Park Gyu had suddenly appeared before me in real life.
“There’s a HUMINT who knows this woman well.”
At Shim Won-jae’s clap, a man sitting awkwardly in the corner of the office timidly stepped forward.
A medium-height, scrawny man.
He wore glasses, and half of his left ear was grotesquely sliced off like a stray cat that had been neutered.
You could tell at a glance that his nutrition was poor, yet I had this strange conviction he wasn’t from North Korea.
Sure enough, he was South Korean.
“Chun-ok’s been deceived! She’s being gaslighted by some bastard and doesn’t know what to do anymore!”
The man who complained /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ with a pitifully aggrieved face from the very start was named Hwang Min-seok.
He had been captured by the cult with his parents and had no choice but to become a follower—an all-too-common tragic life.
Naturally, his parents, who were older and had once been teachers, mysteriously went missing during their time with the cult.
He claimed he had a prior connection to ONE_FAITH.
“She’s actually my girlfriend...”
They were around the same age.
Not that judging by looks alone is fair, but Hwang Min-seok seemed to rank a little lower than our Cheon Young-jae in terms of charm.
To be blunt, he was ugly.
Well, maybe he had some other qualities that could win over women.
So I asked:
“Do you play any instruments?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Beatbox?”
“Excuse me?”
I turned back to Shim Won-jae.
As if waiting for it, he explained what I was to do.
“We’d like you to form a team under your command, take this man, and secure Ham Chun-ok.”
“And is there a reason we’re the ones doing this?”
“There’s a regular Awakened guarding Ham Chun-ok. They call him a Protector. Recon indicates there are only the two of them, but still—an Awakened is an Awakened. When it comes to those who can project counter-fields, ordinary soldiers aren’t enough. Only other Awakened can handle them. That’s why we’re requesting your help, Commander.”
“Well, I guess that’s understandable.”
I looked at Hwang Min-seok.
“But do you really think that fanatic leader girl will come with us just because we show up?”
To this, Captain Shim answered without batting an eye:
“If she doesn’t comply, please execute her immediately.”
As expected, Hwang Min-seok reacted violently to that.
“What? Why kill her? Chun-ok listens to me, okay? She obeys me! Why would you kill a girl like that?”
But Shim Won-jae...
He was no ordinary man—as one would expect of a military police investigator.
When his cold eyes locked on, Hwang Min-seok froze like a mouse before a cat.
There must’ve been some past incident I didn’t know about.
Not that I cared.
“...Then I’ll go.”
At that, Shim Won-jae blinked in shock.
“Huh? You, Commander?!”
He had reason to be surprised.
The person currently responsible for the final defensive line against monsters volunteering for a mission with potential combat was no small thing.
But people are just as scarce on our side.
Shim Won-jae seemed to believe a regular Awakened from our side could resolve the situation easily—but that’s because he didn’t know what a Protector was.
If that Protector was modeled after the Chinese cult system, they’d probably favor melee weapons over guns.
Especially large swords designed to intimidate and instill fear.
The Chinese cult Protectors had once struck such terror into the army that they were feared as much as the monsters themselves—bouncing bullets at mid-range and slaughtering soldiers at close quarters.
Well, this time it was just two people. So not like back then.
Still, this required professionals.
If we could recruit a high-potential Awakened from Woo Min-hee’s priority list, it’d be a great asset.
To be honest, I also wanted a break from mediating the damn scavenger disputes.
But more than anything, curiosity about the slightly adorable board-poster called ONE_FAITH was what moved me most.
*
I did not include Defender’s group in this expedition.
Too high a risk of massacre.
If it were regular fanatics, maybe. But high-tier Awakened were once considered national strategic assets.
Too valuable to kill out of vague hatred.
Instead, I included my long-time partner, Kim Daram.
“...”
Lady Kim was visibly displeased.
Understandable.
There’s no way she wouldn’t know how dangerous this mission was—we’d been through China together.
Still, when combat breaks out, she’ll cover me with surgical precision.
She’s one of the few hunters I can trust to watch my back.
I also added someone just as useful.
“Securing a fanatic, huh? No matter how short-staffed we are...”
Cheon Young-jae, who, while not quite like Defender, harbors a strong hatred for fanatics, was included in the team.
No need to elaborate on how useful he is.
The most striking addition, however, was Lee Haru.
“I’ve seen tons of fanatics in Filkrum’s webtoons, but I never imagined there’d be this many in real life! There weren’t any in Jeju!”
I had requested support from the regular Awakened forces, and she volunteered on the spot.
Originally, I had Kim Hanna in mind, but apparently she was off duty.
Even if she hadn’t been, I doubt she could’ve outcompeted this aggressive young woman.
“I may not know much else, but I’m amazing at deploying counter-fields!”
Lee Haru’s presence was perhaps the most visible accomplishment I’ve made since arriving in New Seoul.
Pairing Old School Hunters and Awakened Hunters was a concept I’d imagined before the war—but never realized until now.
For reference, in Jeju, they’re organized separately—as “meat shields” and “mains.”
At any rate, it would be a valuable experience to test this elite team against a hostile Awakened faction like the fanatics.
Of course, among us was former fanatic Hwang Min-seok.
For some reason, he kept glancing at Lee Haru—visibly tense.
How should I put this?
It was like a textbook display of awkward indecisiveness from a shy man.
Lee Haru seemed to notice and quietly approached me with a personal question.
“That guy. Is he really the boyfriend of that fanatic leader?”
I was curious too.
Based on the fanatics we captured, intel from our drone recon, and our inside contacts, we were sure that the fanatic leader we were after was being protected by only one man.
Hong Da-jeong had skillfully maneuvered a drone in close enough to get footage—no signs of ambushes or other fanatics.
Just one young man and one young woman.
And that Protector guy—
He was ridiculously handsome.
Not the sculpted, textbook kind of handsome like me, but the kind that melts women’s hearts—long lashes, small face, pale skin.
The more information we gathered, the clearer something became.
Maybe ONE_FAITH and that Protector had eloped in the name of love.
The strongest evidence?
A pair of condoms drying on the laundry line.
“Yeah, they’re obviously in love.”
Kim Daram remarked.
Her mood had improved—probably because she figured this mission would be easier than expected.
Anyway, the mission itself was straightforward. The real hurdle would be our reliance on the testimony of a former fanatic.
So I asked him again, in private.
“You seriously dated Chun-ok...?”
“Yes.”
He answered with a straight face—but I saw it clearly.
His eyes—wavered for just a second.

Chapter 154.1: Pure Love (1)