Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Showdown

That was a nest. A giant, living, moving nest.

In Warren Fahy's sci-fi novel Fragment, there are plants with hearts and blood flowing through them. Although they look like plants, they lay eggs, hunt, and even raise and eat seabirds. They are predators with roots and branches. When I read it, I thought it was a pretty interesting concept, but now that I see something similar in front of me, that thought is completely gone. After all, stories are tragic when viewed up close, even if they seem comical from afar.

Gwoooong!

Its appearance was similar to a cross between an anemone and coral.

"Two hypotheses confirmed at once."

The origin of that massive nest is the hydroponics facility. Numerous branches grew from there, rising into the sky like coral. The tentacles, as thick as tree trunks, sprouted from the ends of the branches and writhed repulsively. If that were the only issue, it might have been bearable, but the problem was that those tentacles had mouths. From those mouths, a gas that clearly looked harmful was being sprayed everywhere.

[Increasing concentration of air pollutants. The concentration is rising significantly in the areas where those tentacles are spraying.]

Artemis showed me a cross-referenced map and air concentration data on the PDA, and it was obvious that the nest was the cause. The bar graph spiked wildly in response to the tentacles' emissions.

Once I grasped the situation, the roar felt less like a simple cry and more like the sound of a factory in operation. During my time as a soldier, I heard a similar sound when I entered a power plant during an operation.

"Did the explosion at the power facility happen just because those tentacles happened to spray a lot there?"

The tentacles weren't just spraying gas into the air; they were also injecting it into nearby buildings. Just like now.

Psshhhh!

A seemingly intact building quickly turned green as gas leaked out through the cracks in the closed windows.

"This is unbearable."

Unknown mucous membranes clung to the nearby streetlights and trees, and the mold growing on them repeatedly contracted and expanded, emitting small amounts of gas. The power facility visible not far away had an entire wall blown out—likely the site of the previous explosion.

[That might actually be a good thing.]

Artemis seemed pleased with the current situation.

[It would have been troublesome if something had been lurking in the power facility. We couldn’t afford to fight there. But since that nest is in the hydroponics facility, resolving the problem is much simpler.]

A new route was input into the PDA. The final destination of this twisted journey was the government building where the lower district’s control facility was located. It was close enough to see with the naked eye.

"If we capture that place, everything will be over, right?"

[Yes. Once we gain control of the entire shelter, we can deal with the nest and the numerous infected all at once.]

Her voice was full of confidence. She seemed to think that the current situation was even more favorable to us than expected.

[Jinsoo, you trust me, right?]

"Of course."

She’s a reliable partner. It hurts my pride as a former officer, but she’s honestly better at being the commander than I am.

[The target is the government building. As long as we can get in there, everything will be okay.]

"That's true, but…" I trailed off, looking at the numerous obstacles between us and the government building.

Kuooo!

There were three giant mutants in the worker management office that nearly got me killed.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Even from a distance, I could feel the ground shake as the three of them moved. The mutant we encountered in the management office moved based on instinct, with no clear direction, but these ones seemed to have a specific role. They didn’t stray far from their assigned areas around the hydroponics facility. The problem was that the government building was close enough that we’d catch their attention if we headed there.

"Do you think they'll stay put even if they see us?"

[It’s meaningless to calculate the odds.]

"I figured as much."

The mutants weren’t the only problem.

Screeech!

There were so many infected that counting them seemed pointless. I could see dogs, some the size of wolves. Of course, they weren’t normal dogs. I simulated myself getting past those creatures and entering the government building.

Well, there’s no need to think too hard about it. No matter how I look at it, all the possible outcomes lead to death. Maybe I’d get flattened by a mutant falling from the sky like a bomb while I’m running. Or I’d be blocked by a horde of infected, fumbling with “Uh? Uh?” before getting surrounded and killed. Or perhaps just as I’m about to say, "Great! I’m almost there…" a dog lunges from somewhere and bites my neck. There are countless bad endings to choose from. The scene before me was truly apocalyptic.

Thud! Thud! Thud!@@novelbin@@

My hand, gripping the car I was using for cover, felt a ticklish vibration from the stomping of the mutants.

Gwoooong!

The gases spewing from the nest obscured the ceiling lights, casting unpleasant shadows all around.

Screeech!

The infected humans screamed in unison like a chorus. One was completely blackened, its body glistening as if it had a tough shell. Another had no head; instead, a thick, long tentacle swayed where its head should be, with a lamprey-like mouth at the end. One oozed strange fluids from its entire body. Another one, which I had seen earlier, walked on four legs. One female creature had long tentacles sprouting from her crotch. However, the one near me had a belly swollen like a pregnant woman’s. I didn’t want to imagine what might be inside.

The infected humans who still retained their original forms were carrying something resembling pumpkin vines, but it was obviously not anything edible. They were carrying those things from the hydroponics facility to various places.

"All of them are creatures I’ve never faced before."

The most dangerous enemy on the battlefield is an unpredictable one. To break through that, an army would have to be deployed. I’m not sure if there’s an army left that could handle such a massive number of enemies. It was a hopeless-looking situation, but I had a trump card. In fact, if it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have emerged from the manhole into the city in the first place.

I began preparing for the final assault. When all the preparations were done, she asked me.

[Are you ready?]

"Of course."

[Take a deep breath, and once it starts, don’t think about anything else. Even if infected creatures approach, I’ll handle them somehow, so just focus on getting inside the building.]

I nodded and stretched. My whole body was stiff from crouching and sneaking around to avoid detection.

"Phew…" I could feel my heart pounding wildly under my hand.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Though faint, it felt more intense than the vibrations caused by the mutants wandering far away.

The fear before the final charge. The determination to succeed. The fighting spirit to wipe out those damned monsters. My small heart bundled them all together and sent them surging through my entire body. Energy coursed through my veins, filling me with the strength of human willpower.

Vroom!

Rumble!

The city, which had been filled only with the sounds of monsters, suddenly echoed with mechanical noises and engines roaring to life. Not just one or two, but many. Loud and numerous enough to drown out the cries of the monsters.

Thud!

The three mutants that had stopped in their tracks turned their gaze toward me. They wouldn’t notice me, hidden behind the vehicle I was in.

“Screeech?”

One by one, the countless infected turned toward me

“Grrrr…”

Even the dogs, now so disfigured they were unrecognizable, turned in our direction.

Thunk! Pop!

The infected carrying the pumpkin-like vines set them down, and the tops of the pumpkins opened. Out came long tentacles, with half-human torsos dangling from the ends.

"Damn it."

They were children who looked younger than elementary schoolers. Some even seemed like babies barely past their first year.

Screeech!

Their eyes widened as they let out sharp screams, their mouths grotesquely deformed as if to fire something.

Roar!

One of the three mutants began charging toward me, followed by a horde of infected. We began our advance as well. Passenger cars, trucks, cargo vehicles, cement mixers, buses, large excavators, fire engines, and various construction vehicles. The heavy equipment left behind to reinforce the hastily completed areas was like a heavenly army to me.

Roar!

Just before the two forces collided—

Zing!

Numerous headlights flashed on simultaneously. Blinded by the sudden light, the infected and mutants at the forefront stumbled backward. The overwhelming weight of our vehicles crashed into them.