ALL NOVEL Chapter 157
“…Did we not clearly agree to meet here?”
In the corner of an alley filled with orange mist.
Jin Yeseo looked around with a questioning gaze.
“Did we end up in the wrong place?”
“A13… right. I’m sure.”
Lee Hyun mumbled as he glanced at the rattling sign in the wind.
Though the head of the Security Bureau had boasted of mobilizing all officers to track down the criminals, there wasn’t even a single ant in sight.
“The promised time has long passed…”
“Are you sure they didn’t chicken out?”
“No way… No matter what, the head of the Security Bureau wouldn’t…”
Lee Hyun muttered coldly, seemingly dissatisfied.
Upon hearing him, Jin Yeseo felt a shiver run down her spine and a sense of unease bubbling in her stomach.
“…Ugh.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Jin Yeseo forced a calm reply, trying not to show her unease.
“More importantly, what should we do now? Should we cancel the infiltration plan?”
“…No. We can’t. We finally caught a lead. We can’t miss this opportunity.”
After a moment of thought, Lee Hyun spoke again.
“I heard that there’s only one magician in the Security Bureau, the chief himself. The rest are just regular officers. Asking for their cooperation was just to weed out the small fry, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
The clock in the plaza chimed loudly, marking two in the morning.
After hearing it, Lee Hyun said.
“Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
The two resumed their search for the sewage treatment plant, feeling their way along the map.
The streetlamps cast a diffused light in the orange mist, making it impossible to see a step ahead. The mechanical clatter of the industrial city echoed around, and the wind howled fiercely like a beast.
Wandering in the alley felt like they had suddenly fallen into a maze.
“…No matter what, it’s creepy how there’s not a single person around…”
Jin Yeseo grumbled in an unnecessarily sulky tone.
“I think we’re almost there. If we can get out of this alley, it’s just a straight shot…”
Lee Hyun checked the map as he spoke.
Only when they were about to exit the alley did Jin Yeseo’s question finally get an answer.
“Wait.”
“Whoa…”
Lee Hyun suddenly stopped in his tracks, waving a hand at Jin Yeseo.
Jin Yeseo, startled, scolded him.
“Why so sudden?”
“…Look over there.”
Following Lee Hyun’s finger, Jin Yeseo turned her head, squinting into the mist.
And soon, she saw something strange and her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Uh…?”
A bizarre sight unfolded before them.
People lined up in a single file, staggering forward through the mist. There were so many that she couldn’t even see the end of the line.
Their steps were shaky, and their eyes had no focus. They moved like ants, heading somewhere without exchanging a word.
Lee Hyun silently watched the procession, feeling utterly bewildered by this unfamiliar scene.
Then, amid the line, he recognized a familiar face.
The old man from the pub they visited on the first day.
He too was shuffling forward with vacant eyes, resembling everyone else.
“Isn’t that…?”
It seemed Jin Yeseo also found someone she recognized. One of the women who had been scolding Lee Hyun while pretending to be a new bride.
“Hey, what’s going on… wait…!”
Lee Hyun suddenly took long strides, and Jin Yeseo hurriedly followed him.
He grabbed the shoulder of one of the people in line, spinning them around.
“Hey.”
“…”
But there was no response. The man’s vacant eyes didn’t even look at Lee Hyun. None of the others in line paid attention to the commotion either.
In the end, Lee Hyun let him go. The man resumed his staggering steps, disappearing into the mist.
“…Tch.”
Lee Hyun clicked his tongue as he watched the vanishing shadow.
“What on earth is happening…”
Jin Yeseo, still following behind, murmured.
She was lost in thought while looking at the eerie procession.
Then, as if recalling something, she quickly turned to Lee Hyun.
“Hey, come to think of it, the direction those people are going…!”
“…Yeah.”
Lee Hyun nodded in agreement with Jin Yeseo.
The direction the people were heading was directly where the sewage treatment plant—their intended target—was located.
“…We should blend in and follow them.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“It’s clear something’s happening in this city. We can’t just turn back after seeing this.”
Lee Hyun muttered, gazing at the never-ending line.
Then he turned abruptly to Jin Yeseo.
“Before that…”
“Huh?”
Jin Yeseo tilted her head, wondering what was up, but he silently closed the distance between them.
And he stared into Jin Yeseo’s face.
“Better to cover your face completely. Something like a hood.”
He made an unexpected remark.
Jin Yeseo shot him a glare, irritated by the needless seriousness he was giving off.
“What’s with the sudden suggestion?”
“You stand out too much.”
“What do you mean… My disguise is perfect.”
Jin Yeseo retorted, her voice filled with pride. After all, she had gotten used to roaming around with her face smeared in soot and her hair tousled.
“Your nose is too prominent. Your eyelashes are too long and thick. You look far too dignified for a beggar.”
But Lee Hyun shook his head immediately.
“If it’s just wandering the streets, it might be fine. But sneaking into somewhere is a bad idea.”
“What does that mean… wait.”
Lee Hyun seemed unwilling to argue, examining her face. He then saw the hood at the back of her neck and quickly pulled it over her head. He pressed down on the top of her head to cover her face completely.
“Let’s go.”
“Hey, wait…”
Jin Yeseo, still dazed, suddenly regained her senses and followed closely behind him.
The comments about her nose, eyelashes, and her eyes had become painfully familiar. They were the same words she had heard far too many times before, words she deeply disliked. They were things only the clueless dared to say.
Of course, she had ensured such idiots were promptly turned over to the Student Council for proper punishment.
But…
‘Why… am I not feeling bad about this…?’
“…?”
Jin Yeseo tilted her head in confusion.
*
The sewage treatment plant that the head of the Security Bureau spoke of was located on the outskirts within a dilapidated factory area.
Through the gap of an open, rusted gate, people continued to flow in endlessly. The complete lack of sounds or signs of life made it even more eerie.
Furthermore, the thick mist that enveloped the city thoroughly hid this suspicious migration.
As they passed by broken-down purification tanks floating with green sludge—long out of operation—they continued down the old stairs leading underground.
Soon, they found themselves in a dark sewer without a single light. An awful stench assaulted their nostrils, and the sound of droplets falling from somewhere heightened their nerves.
“Ugh…”
Jin Yeseo, looking tense, suddenly felt her back hairs stand on end. An insect’s antennae and six legs had just brushed past her.
‘I’d rather deal with demons…’
Having never encountered such unpleasant stimuli before, Jin Yeseo swallowed hard against her tears.
They had arrived after descending several tiers.
Suddenly, a large space surrounded by black cloth appeared before them.
In the center was a high platform resembling an altar, and dim lights flickered around it. The stench became even more pungent.
Lee Hyun observed the area for any signs of trouble.
There were piles of bones scattered around; they were unmistakably human.
The shape of the remains was reminiscent of a predator savoring its meal, further igniting the dark imagination.
What’s more alarming was the size of the gathered crowd.
The people seated in silence easily numbered over a thousand, giving a chilling sense of magnitude.
“…This is insane.”
Jin Yeseo murmured, observing the scene.
“It’s like almost everyone from City No. 1 has gathered here…”
She and Lee Hyun took their places within the crowd.
The people remained silent, neither praying nor conversing.
“…There’s no doubt. With those suspicious decorations… this is definitely the headquarters.”
Jin Yeseo scanned the surroundings with keen eyes.
“The entire city had been completely engulfed. How could this happen…”
“But this… doesn’t seem violent enough for cultists…”
Bang~ Bang~ Bang~
Lee Hyun was about to pose his question to Jin Yeseo.
Somewhere outside, a faint church bell chimed, brushing against their ears.
Thud.
Click… click…
Silence fell over the crowd.
And then, they sensed the approach of someone.
From behind the hanging black cloth, a woman suddenly emerged.
Lee Hyun recognized her immediately.
She was the suspicious woman who had veiled herself, dressed in monochrome clothing to shield herself from the sun.
The woman was accompanied by several attendants clad similarly.
She stepped onto the center platform that had been prepared like an altar.
Seeing this, Jin Yeseo whispered to Lee Hyun in a small voice.
“Hey. Could she be…”
“Yeah. That’s the person I met.”
Lee Hyun said, gazing intently at the woman atop the platform and the attendants lined up behind her.
“It seems she’s not a mere intermediary. She’s likely the mastermind.”
“What should we do?”
“We have to capture her. If it comes to it, we might have to kill her.”
“What? With a scale like this… we can’t handle it ourselves…!”
Jin Yeseo shot Lee Hyun a panicked look.
“A city adjacent to the capital has been completely overwritten. This is a high-level alert. This issue is just as serious as the Jinryeong Incident! We need to call in the military experts immediately…!”
“We can’t leave now. We would stand out too much.”
While they were deep in conversation, suddenly everyone seated began to raise their hands in unison, as if they were sincerely offering a prayer.
Lee Hyun and Jin Yeseo mimicked their motion.
Even amidst this, Lee Hyun darted his eyes around, surveying the area.
He could feel a slight but definite air movement. Retracing their steps, it seemed like they were ascending a gentle slope rather than heading downward.
This meant they weren’t too far from ground level.
If a situation arose, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to engage the enemies while sending Jin Yeseo out to seek rescue.
“Hey, hey… that woman…!”
Just then, as Lee Hyun was processing all this, Jin Yeseo, who had been sitting tight, urgently called out to him.
“I told you, it’s that woman from yesterday…”
“No, that’s not it…!”
Jin Yeseo’s voice was dripping in shock.
“That woman, it’s her…!”
“Who?”
“The nun…! She was supposed to be dead… the one who took care of the orphanage before coming to this city…!”
“What…?”
Lee Hyun turned to where Jin Yeseo pointed.
The only remnant of a burnt ruin was an old photograph. In that photo, the young nun was smiling brightly among the orphans.
Now standing before them, she had unveiled herself, wearing the exact same smile from the photograph.
“…Today is the joyous harvest day.”