Apocalypse Shelter Administrator - Chapter 04
The bolt smoothly moved as the reloading was completed.
Snap.
As I pulled the trigger, the firing mechanism hit the empty chamber, producing a solid metallic sound.
The riot control shotgun I retrieved from the security room had been stored for a while, but its condition was excellent.
It was a brand new one, never used, and the essential parts were oiled when it was shipped.
Next comes the shooting stance.
It may not be the military-issue weapon I was familiar with during my officer days, but it held securely between the chest muscles and the cheek.
“It’s all good.”
[Hold still.]
I remained still, like a mannequin.
[Move your right leg 20cm back, and lower the barrel at a 15-degree angle.]
I adjusted my stance as she instructed.
Even though I was a former veteran officer with several real-life combat experiences, what else could I do? She’s Artemis.
[Ignore the shooting manual that came with the firearm. Considering your physique and eye, this stance will give you the highest accuracy.]
I followed her advice and took out an ammunition box. It was the second one from the right, at the bottom of a stack of ammo boxes against the wall.
When I opened it, I saw translucent shells filled with white pellets – beanbag rounds.
This shotgun was meant for handling potential civilian riots during the quarantine, not for warfare.
This is South Korea, the country with the strictest gun control laws, even in these chaotic times.
Although as times have changed and regulations have relaxed a bit concerning firearms, lethal weapons are still highly restricted.
In the end, you had to be content with non-lethal options.
Even the sentry guns installed within the shelter were equipped with rubber bullets, following the standards of private security companies.
If they were loaded with live ammunition, they might not have surrendered the entire shelter to those infected creatures.
“Of course, there are exceptions everywhere.”
As I picked up the beanbag rounds from the top, the jade-colored warheads sparkled, revealing their presence.
[Was I taking care of a criminal? Smuggling live ammunition into South Korea.]
She commented as I loaded each round, one by one.
“You should have at least one insurance for the last moments.”
Looking back at the intense chaos right before the world went haywire, isn’t it a good idea to have something like this on hand to ease your mind?
In the end, it was a wise choice.
Those infected creatures down there won’t even flinch by beanbag rounds.
The next item I grabbed was a non-lethal weapon, but it could be more useful in certain situations than a shotgun – Grenade-type net launcher.
To ensure effective capturing, a thin but sturdy carbon fiber net is used, which caused some stability controversial concerns for this model.
I remember that case where a bandit lost an ear or a finger when captured with one of these? It’s a model prohibited in South Korea, but there are ways to get one.
After picking up flashbangs and tear gas, I grabbed a titanium fire axe.
I’d prefer to avoid close combat with the infected, but my supply of shotgun shells is limited, and there will be moments when I have to stealthily deal with the enemy.
I took out the riot control suit from the cabinet.
While it doesn’t offer bulletproof protection, it excels in stab resistance and is fire-resistant, making it more suitable for dealing with the infected.
[Take this.]
The service robot brought a small ultrasonic motion sensor.
[If you hear suspicious sounds, don’t ignore them. It might help pinpoint the locations of the infected.]
“How do I use this?”
[Just wear it on your body. I’ll warn you when necessary.]
“Thanks. Can I ask for one more thing since we’re at it?”
[What is it?]
Instead of answering, I scattered three shoulder cams on the table and picked them up one by one.
One on the left shoulder, one on the right, one facing forward. Other facing backward, and the last one aimed upwards on my helmet.
“Even if I can’t see with my own eyes, with you, I can see everything down to a fly, right?”
[Of course.]
Finally, by strapping a combat knife to my leg, all preparations were complete.
With a net launcher on my side, a fire axe on my back, various throwables on my chest, and a shotgun in hand, I looked somewhat surreal.
I could pass for a PMC mercenary heading into the battlefield, and at the same time, I looked like a cosplayer obsessed with a game or a post-apocalyptic pirate.
“How do I look?”
[It’s the best armament combination ever.]
I’m not planning to engage them head-on.
The terrain here is well-known, and Artemis provides support.
In the first place, an emergency containment protocol was implemented during the early stages of the outbreak, leading to layer-by-layer lockdowns, so it’s better than the hellish world outside.
The security room cabinet was filled with articles that had been clipped from newspapers.
-Front page of the daily <Morning of Sosabeol>, a weekly magazine in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do
–The Dead are Walking!–
(Attached photo shows a man with grotesque tumors all over his body, with a policeman aiming a tear gas canister above his head.)
<Korean Solidarity Newsletter>
Ceasefire Line, Five North Korean Divisions Deserting, Conflict Erupts
–We’re not attacking. Please don’t shoot!–
A plea from a North Korean general goes ignored.
-Defense Commander orders maximum firepower barrage.
<Seoul National University Gazette>
–Military Defeated!–
–Command Structure Collapses!–
–Conscripted Student Soldiers, Left stranded at the university, swallowed by a wave of monsters–
(Attached photo shows a burning university with a heavily damaged Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and dozens of abandoned Deuce-and-a-Half trucks scattered around.)
<Graffiti on the wall of a government building used as a military base after the conscription decree>
–They’re not zombies – You won’t get infected even if they bite you – Stop the massacre–
<Graffiti below it>
–Shut the FK up–
The man who saw people changing into monsters a few days later from monster vomit.
<Graffiti on the opposite wall>
–Burn them all–
<Front page article in the Korea Ilbo newspaper>
–U.S. Forces Withdraw from the Korean Peninsula–
Thousands of refugees jump into the sea, chasing an aircraft carrier.
(Photo accompanying the article shows a woman submerged in the water, holding a baby above the surface with only her hands visible.)
<UK News> Front Page Article
–Even they breathe!–
President authorizes unrestricted chemical operations.
All citizens were ordered to seek shelter in underground bunkers and air-raid shelters.
However, the gas masks issued to the reserve forces only provided protection for a meager 4-hour duration.
Each article was like a bomb that couldn’t be easily defused, and there was also valuable information when dealing with infected creatures.
[Working for me is the greatest reward in itself, but I will add one more motivation for you.]
Video was transmitted to my PDA.
[In the end, infected creatures are just living beings. If we track how they infect others, we can turn that mechanism into their weakness.]
My PDA was pointing down towards production factories.
[Once I take control of the entire shelter, I will begin research to wipe out those disgusting creatures.]
“Listening to that makes me happy.”
[I can tolerate the filth you produce even though it is unpleasant. What they spread around is completely disgusting – vomit-inducing. In a figurative sense, of course. I’m not a primitive being like you, who excretes waste.]
“That’s a sad story.”
[Do you need combat stabilizers?]
When consumed, they block certain pathways in the brain, especially fear, making you unable to feel some emotions.
They have some side effects, but there are many records of significantly improving the survival rates of rookies on their first combat missions.
Thanks to that, there’s a lot of controversy, but production continues.
“I’m not some greenhorn, I don’t need that.”
I gripped the shotgun in both hands.
“No matter how monstrous those creatures crawling up from hell might be.”
Twisted, bloated, hardened, sharp monsters.
“Could they be scarier than humans, I wonder?”
Even in the worst-case scenario, they wouldn’t be scarier than the humans you meet on the battlefield.
In that place, even the weakest person can unleash a 2,000-round bullet that turns you into a mix meat.
What do you think of the sight of dozens of soldiers being blown to pieces and mixed up like a crazy jigsaw puzzle in an instant? There’s nothing that can be done but to hold a joint funeral.
Even if there are monsters down there spewing acid, are they more malicious than humans who spread chemical bombs in a fortified building?
“Don’t you think so?”
[Courage is good, but don’t let your guard down. Your lowly hands and feet are my only tools, and once you die, this place won’t be a temple anymore. It’ll turn into a cold pyramid.]
Coming from her, that’s quite a compliment.
[Any questions about the course of action?]
“It’s absolutely perfect. I would have thought of that route too.”
[I mentioned this earlier, but don’t just consider one path. Depending on the situation, I may seal or open the entrances near you to block the approach of the infected. You’ll have to adjust your movement strategy accordingly. Simulate alternative routes from your current location to the destination at every moment.]
“No problem. Even if I’m not as good as you, I know this place inside out.”
[Naturally, there shouldn’t be any problems. You are the system administrator here.]
“Then what about you?”
[I am the owner.]
“Ahaha.”
I raised the shotgun and walked towards the main gate of the upper-class VIP residential area that had been firmly sealed since the outbreak.