Chapter 226: Nothing Is Impossible
Among the survivors were several people who either held electrical certifications or had worked in related trades, so power was restored to Nami Island.
That was because Junho had merely unplugged the power room systems and flipped the breakers. He had not smashed everything to pieces.
“Rather than living separately for no reason, it would be better to live together as a group.”
“Domestic wastewater is one thing, but collect human waste in one place and use it as compost. It'll help a lot. Someone here knows how to do that, right?”
“Leave only one or two docks usable. Around the island, set up barbed wire or obstacles. Hide them behind brush or trees so they aren't easy to spot.”
“Now, look at the map. Here and here, there are neither zombies nor people nearby. Use those routes when you go outside the island to hunt or gather supplies.”
“A simple water purifier made from charcoal, sand, and gravel... You don't know how? I'll teach you, so watch carefully.”
“Even this won't kill the virus completely, so always boil the water thoroughly before drinking it. Oh, and since this is Class 2 water quality, for washing you can simply filter it once and use it.”
“For laundry, use lye... Right, that lady over there knows how, so that's settled.”
“Soap? There's plenty of used cooking oil here, right? Yes, you can make soap with that and charcoal. First, completely burn hardwood and collect the ash. Then you'll need to make a filter and container....”
Junho taught the survivors dozens of pieces of survival knowledge essential in the apocalypse.
He even demonstrated many of them himself.
“You still don't understand even after hearing it? ...Fine. I'll upload the relevant information onto the computers here. Just follow the instructions there.”
Then he uploaded the survival-related text and video files that were stored by default on every PC, laptop, and tablet in our shelter onto the computers on Nami Island.
In particular, the hundred or so videos carefully selected and downloaded from survival experts' YouTube channels during the construction of the shelter possessed enormous value in the current world.
Moreover, Nami Island was not a completely primitive environment. Modern civilization and nature coexisted there.
The materials would be even more effective because of that.
“There's quite a bit of gasoline. But even if it's stored in drums, it'll become unusable within six months, so use it up quickly. Diesel should be fine until around this time next year. Butane canisters will last a very long time as long as the containers aren't damaged, so keep them sealed and stored properly. And always check them with a gas detector before use.”
One of Nami Island's advantages was that it possessed a considerable variety and quantity of fuel.
After generously teaching survival skills to the people for half a day, Junho fully recharged the drones, power banks, inflatable boat batteries, and everything else.
Then he departed Nami Island together with his group.
“Thank you!”
“Thank you so much, all of you!”
Aside from the patients and wounded, the survivors of Nami Island came out to the dock regardless of age or gender and enthusiastically saw them off.
Having received as much help as possible—more than possible, in fact—from Junho and his group, their eyes were moist with emotion as they watched them leave.
“At least that's a relief.”
“It's more than a relief. Places in as good a condition as that are rare in today's world.”
“I suppose that's true....”
At Yoon Seolhee's words, Park Deokcheol and Choi Hyunwoo nodded.
Now, Nami Island might not endure for decades, but it could certainly sustain itself for a year or two.
The expressions on both men's faces brightened.
Yesterday, they had killed people.
But at the same time, they had saved even more people and given them a chance to keep living.
The purpose and result were completely different from ordinary murder.
That was why Choi Hyunwoo and Park Deokcheol were able to suppress their guilt.
Of course, no one blamed them.
But even if it was a form of hypocrisy, the two men needed to forgive themselves.
***
VROOOOM—!
With a reconnaissance drone leading the way, the inflatable boat carrying the four of them sped across the water.
Before long, they passed Cheongpyeong Lake and arrived at the government vessel dock.
Junho and the others deflated the inflatable boat and transferred the equipment into the SUVs.
“Even though they're older models, getting over thirty K1s and K2s is nice. There are a lot of pistols too.”
Everyone nodded at Choi Hyunwoo's remark.
The greatest gain from the Nami Island operation was obtaining a large quantity of military firearms.
“It would've been even better if there'd been more ammunition. That's a little disappointing.”
In contrast, there were only a few hundred rounds of ammunition.
Police stations didn't normally store huge quantities of ammo in the first place, and Park Gyumin's and Kim Geonwoo's subordinates had already consumed a fair amount.
Still, the K1 and K2 shared many important parts with the newer K2C1.
And they would also be extremely useful for producing new attack drones and turrets in the shelter workshop, whose equipment and facilities were worth billions of won.
In other words, our shelter would never suffer from a shortage of firearms again.
“I'll go take care of some work.”
“Yes.”
While the others loaded supplies, Junho crossed the road and installed a wireless communication relay and CCTV camera in a nearby garden.
The portable solar panels and a single power bank they had brought along were enough to provide the required electricity.
Workers would eventually arrive and install permanent infrastructure anyway.
Until then, this was sufficient.
“Boss! We've loaded everything!”
“Good. I'm almost finished too.”
Riding the two electric SUVs that had belonged to the looters, the group returned past the hydroelectric power plant and headed for the sandy shore where they had hidden the boat.
While the other three transferred supplies back onto the motorboat from the water sports center that had been concealed among the reeds, Junho climbed onto the roof of the largest building in the nearby village and opened our shelter's wireless channel.
“Shelter, do you copy?”
—Master Lee Junho. Signal confirmed.
“Good. Transfer drone control authority to the shelter....”
After handing over drone control authority to the shelter, Junho used Akina's assistance to identify ideal locations for installing wireless relays and amplifiers throughout the area.
“So if we install one there, we can fly drones all the way to Cheongpyeong Lake? Following the Bukhan River?”
—Correct. The entirety of Cheongpyeong-ri, including Cheongpyeong Station, will fall within wireless communication and drone reconnaissance coverage. Parts of Hacheon-ri as well.
Hearing that a relay and PTZ camera installed atop a mountain beside the river could monitor not only the Bukhan River basin around Cheongpyeong but also the entirety of Cheongpyeong-ri through which the Gyeongchun Line passed, Junho's expression became satisfied.
Whether someone came from Gapyeong, Chuncheon, or even farther north from Yanggu or Inje, any group attempting to approach the Seoul metropolitan area by following the river would inevitably pass through this region.
Furthermore, unlike Nami Island, which was over twenty kilometers away from our shelter, this location was only about ten kilometers away in a straight line.
If a PTZ camera detected something unusual, a drone launched from the shelter could easily shadow and monitor it for thirty to forty minutes.
In other words, if a relay and camera were installed here as well—
'The entire stretch of the Bukhan River passing through Namyangju would be in the palm of our hand.'
In terms of total distance, they would be able to monitor nearly fifty kilometers around the clock and launch drones within two or three minutes whenever something happened.
“Whew....”
When the initial outbreak occurred, they had not even been able to fully monitor tiny Gahyeon-ri.
Compared to those days, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Furthermore, if Major Lee Seokjin's unit in Deokso, Kang Baekho's Kangho Resort, and the cattle farm in Yangseo-myeon across the river were included—
The territory effectively controlled by our shelter had grown to nearly two-thirds the size of Seoul.
Of course, they could not freely roam every part of it.
But they could determine what was happening, who had entered key transit routes, and where specific Alphas were growing in power and influence.
And that alone was enough for Junho.
The countless battles and fights of the last ten months had given him more than enough experience.
He had personally learned how to fight not only in mountains and fields, but in villages and even the middle of cities.
Because of that, Junho could confidently say it.
At the present moment, there was no special operations unit anywhere that could fight zombies better than he could.
He could probably clear out most small towns entirely on his own.
But—
“There's no reason to do that....”
Why would he?
What benefit would it bring either him or our shelter?
From the moment he regressed until now, Junho's goal had always been only one thing:
To live well, centered around our shelter.
So unless someone attacked first.
Unless someone became a threat to our shelter.
He would never step forward out of half-baked humanitarianism or a sense of justice for something that offered no meaningful benefit.
“Boss! Junho! We are done!”
“Good. Let's go home.”
Right now, all he wanted was to return home, eat something good with his people, and get some proper rest.
***
“...Jamsil? You're saying we have to go all the way to Jamsil?”
“Sorry. They specifically requested your team from Jeju. It's an order that came directly from the Minister's office. Fuck.... Anyway, as of this moment, Younghoon, you're the acting team leader.”
Staff Sergeant Moon Younghoon, standing in World Cup Park, shook his head while concealing his complicated feelings.
“No. If it's a mission, then naturally we follow it. Nothing is impossible. You know that better than anyone.”
“You little bastard... Thanks for saying that.”
The Deputy Chief of Naval Operations looked both grateful and saddened as Moon Younghoon quoted the motto of the Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Flotilla.
The two went back a long way.
Since the days when the deputy chief had been a battalion commander in the Navy Special Warfare Flotilla, he had known Moon Younghoon personally.
And after the world ended, Moon Younghoon had become one of the most outstanding remaining UDT operators.
The deputy chief trusted and valued his former subordinate greatly.
“No, sir. Just treat me like before. Ever since you got your star, you've changed a bit, Deputy Chief.”
“What? You little shit.”
The deputy chief glared at him before snorting with laughter.
Moon Younghoon smiled slightly as well before suddenly turning his head.
“By the way, Deputy Chief. Then are those things moving to Jamsil?”
“Hm? Ah, those.”
The deputy chief followed Moon Younghoon's gaze.
There stood a floating pontoon bridge and a sloped boat-launching ramp.
It was the very place Junho had once carefully inspected while spending a night there during his journey along the Han River toward Bucheon.
Now several Mulgae-class landing craft were docked there.
Most were so old they were nearing retirement, but the Mulgae-class vessels, which primarily transported supplies to island regions, were among the few Navy ships capable of passing beneath the bridges spanning the Han River.
Some of those vessels had delivered essential supplies such as food, ammunition, and batteries.
But two of them were carrying M114 155mm towed howitzers and KH179 155mm towed howitzers that had been kept in reserve-force storage.
Dozens of upgraded KMS114 81mm mortars and their ammunition were loaded as well.
“They can't get all the way there by boat. For now they'll wait here. Then either we'll helicopter them onto mountaintops, or depending on conditions around Bamseom and Seonyudo, we'll deploy them there.”
“......!”
Staff Sergeant Moon Younghoon, a native of Seoul, immediately understood the meaning behind the deputy chief's words and stiffened.
Both Bamseom and Seonyudo were islands in the Han River located extremely close to a certain region of enormous importance not only to Seoul but to the entire Republic of Korea.
And that place was—
“Is the plan really to retake Yeouido first?”
Struggling to suppress his anticipation and excitement, Moon Younghoon asked.
The deputy chief nodded firmly.
“Yeah, that's right. We concluded that if we destroy the bridges and block the roads, there isn't a better place in Seoul than Yeouido to use as a forward base for the recapture operation.”