Rainbow City

It was a well-known fact that the Adam virus was weak against high fever, but it was rare for a human body temperature to reach up to 45 degrees. Moreover, how many times could the timing be when someone bitten by Adam was suffering from an intense fever? In the end, the human bitten by Adam had no choice but to generate heat on his own to destroy the virus.

In simple terms, a new virus that could raise the temperature quickly was needed. However, the body had to endure the heat up to 45 degrees, and if the fever did not subside, it would be a problem in itself.

Even if successful treatment occurred after infection, it was challenging to call the person immune. There was a significant possibility of getting infected again when exposed to the virus. Seokhwa’s blood was telling this now.

Is there really a cure?

Seokhwa looked down at his body. It would have been good if the immune system had been generated. However, he had definitely raised the temperature to destroy the Adam virus in a short time. Perhaps there were antibodies in this body that generated heat to destroy the virus.

Seokhwa lifted his wrist and lightly touched the still-healing bite mark with his hand.

He had not talked to Kwak Soohwan about it yet, but he had heard about the four rivers from his father when he was young. And his father had claimed to be Euphrates. The children of Bisone and Hymen… Could they have been a couple? Seokhwa sat down heavily on the chair and opened the lid of a container filled with nuts.

It had already been a day since he entered this building. During this time, the three meals were prepared by Kwak Soohwan and left in the adjacent building.

He seemed to harbor an extreme aversion to Rainbow City, more than anyone else. Perhaps, while the First and Second Masters were fighting, he might do something.

Seokhwa peeled off the peanut shell, placed it on a tissue, and rolled the nut with his thumb and forefinger. Since Kwak Soohwan also mentioned that he was a shelter researcher, there might be records of his parents somewhere.

No matter how much he thought about it, Kwak Soohwan was different from ordinary mutants. His physique surpassed criminals like Lee Chaeyoon or Yang Sanghoon by far, and his brain was as intelligent as leading a platoon or secretly operating as a controller.

“A mutant without defects.”

Seokhwa murmured. If that was the case, then was I a defective product? A defective product that couldn’t become a successor…?

The words of his old father, which he had forgotten, sounded strange even now. Although he didn’t understand it at the time, looking back now, it was odd. His father, originally from Jeju Island, received supplies from Rainbow City and lived by the sea.

Although he was physically weak and didn’t do any clear work, around the time Seokhwa was under five years old, he took a boat to Udo Island several times a week. Each time, his grandmother took care of Seokhwa. However, at that time, only workers or approved soldiers could enter Udo, which was both Adam’s clean zone and where the top resided.

The area from Seongsan Port, where the ferry to Udo departs, was a controlled zone, so even Seokhwa, who lived not far from there, had never set foot there. Udo, with strict security, was also an important residence for the First and Second Masters.

He suspected that his father, who called himself Euphrates, might have some connection with the rebels or the upper echelons of the city. It was just a kind of hypothesis, but this time, he didn’t just dismiss what he had said.

Seokhwa looked down at the destroyed Adam virus sample and then glanced at the syringe placed at the end. When injecting the Adam virus and raising the body temperature, collecting a blood sample at that moment might reveal something peculiar.

***

As soon as Kwak Soohwan became a controller, he first found Major Kim. Dealing with him was easy since he was still active as a broker at that time. What did that guy say back then, stumbling on the ground without eyeballs? He probably asked to be killed. His appearance was similar to the man now.

Kwak Soohwan looked down at Dr. Kim, who was groaning on the floor. Yang Sanghoon had thrown the severed fingers of the guy he had just cut off into the trash. Although the guy’s fingers had been cut off, making further research impossible, Dr. Kim would have no chance of surviving.

“People suspected that Dr. Kim gave Adam’s blood to the guy at the restaurant. There’s just no direct evidence.”

Yang Sanghoon nodded in agreement with Kwak Soohwan’s words.

The reason the boy could turn into Adam was because someone had given him a syringe containing Adam’s blood. Yang Sanghoon had suspected Dr. Kim from the beginning. Moreover, when the boy, who had not stopped eating Baksook while being cautious of his surroundings, only eyed Dr. Kim as soon as he appeared.

“Are you one of the elders under the four rivers?”

If Dr. Kim didn’t understand what he was talking about, he raised his head as if he didn’t understand what was going on. At that time, the boy said that he received favor from the elder. If it was the name of that elder, he might have stabbed the syringe into his body.

“Elder! I don’t know about that! Ahh! My hand! My fingers!”

Dr. Kim wailed while looking at his empty fingers.

“Since all four rivers are already dead, what else are you if you’re not the child elder who received their will unless it’s a newborn elder?”

Dr. Kim showed a very subtle hesitation at the mention of the elders’ death, but he focused on wrapping his hand with a rolled-up gown.

“I won’t stay quiet! Absolutely not! How many years have I been loyal to Rainbow City! This can’t happen to me!” Dr. Kim wailed like a broken dam.

Kwak Soohwan threw several photos onto Kim’s face, now covered with tears and snot. When Dr. Kim tried to get up, the photos stuck to his face fell to the floor.

“Take a good look, Dr. Kim. I brought you here to give you a chance. If you had reported to the upper ranks first, you wouldn’t have had time to make excuses.”

Kwak Soohwan pointed to the photos with his chin. The pictures showed the view of a military warehouse not far from the Yeouido Shelter, designated for disposal, and a clear image of Dr. Kim getting on a military jeep without a license plate.

“What is this!”

“Don’t act innocent.”

Kwak Soohwan rotated the chair he had brought and sat down, leaning his arms on the backrest, looking down at Dr. Kim.

“Why did you take a military jeep from the disposal military supplies warehouse? This picture seems a bit strange, doesn’t it?”

Dr. Kim crumpled the photo with his intact hand.

“I just needed it! Just that! Are you punishing me for using this jeep?”

“Of course not. Did you think it would be untraceable because the jeep doesn’t have a license plate? All military jeeps have serial numbers engraved on them. But the jeep you took matches the vehicle that brought soldiers to our Gwacheon Shelter.”

Perhaps due to the severed fingers, Dr. Kim’s face turned pale.

“Dr. Kim. I thought you got away with it that day, but I had planted my people with you since then. All your movements since then are in my hands.”

Dr. Kim, who had complained of unfairness, tossed the photo to the ground and tightly gripped the gown-wrapped hand.

“So, don’t think too hard about it. I’ll just give a hint to Dr. Kim about Serpent and smoothly finish it by expelling him from Rainbow City.”

“Serpent is… me.”

Dr. Kim spat out the words.

“I knew you would do that! You son of a bitch!”

Yang Sanghoon, highly excited, struck Dr. Kim’s belly.

“You damn bastard! An innocent kid died because of you! Can you believe that?”

Kwak Soohwan pressed his throbbing forehead.

“Major Yang.”

“Dammit! You’re really a piece of shit! Those bastards who exploit kids should all die!”

Kwak Soohwan raised his voice towards Yang Sanghoon, who was exercising violence against the shaken Dr. Kim.

“Major Yang! That bastard is not Serpent.”

“So what? He admitted to being Serpent anyway!”

It was when Yang Sanghoon turned around.

“Damn!”

Kwak Soohwan quickly rushed toward Yang Sanghoon, but he wasn’t faster than Dr. Kim, who was right in front of him as soon as he reached out. Only then did Yang Sanghoon, who had been full of confidence, realize that his waist felt lighter.

At the same time, Dr. Kim put the muzzle into his own mouth and fired.

Bang!

The sound of a watermelon breaking echoed, and the splattering brain matter and red flesh flowed down the wall. Dr. Kim showed no hesitation.

Kwak Soohwan flipped his disheveled hair back in front of the now lifeless Dr. Kim.

“Sorry… damn… really sorry, Major Kwak. I…”

Perplexed, Yang Sanghoon muttered while looking down at the collapsed Dr. Kim. Kwak Soohwan tried to say something but barely swallowed it down.

“Report to the upper ranks that he was executed immediately.”

“What about him?”

“I turned off the surveillance cameras here. It doesn’t matter; the upper ranks were already keeping an eye on this guy.”

“Hey, I’m really sorry. When I thought that bastard gave Adam’s blood to that kid, I lost it…”

“Enough, just get rid of the body.”

Yang Sanghoon’s mouth hung open. He expected a barrage of curses, but Kwak Soohwan left the Gwacheon Shelter control room without saying a word.

“Hey! By the way, what about Dr. Seokhwa?! You told me to recognize him, but he looks totally different from what I remember!”

“I wouldn’t have cursed at him. I wanted to ask him this time, but to my surprise, Kwak Soohwan didn’t even look back, raised his middle finger, and walked out.”

Seokhwa spent more than 12 hours a day in the lab. Of course, two hours of that time were reserved for rest to replenish his energy.

The 21 Violet Zone, managed by Kwak Soohwan, showed no signs of popularity. Perhaps the lab where he was located was isolated from other areas, which could explain the lack of activity.

Seokhwa left the lab and walked through the worn-out corridor. The lab of this shelter, which used to be the Green Zone, was not bad in terms of equipment.

It was a two-story building, and next to it was a large building, where soldiers seemed to reside, and jeeps came and went.

Chewing almonds provided by Kwak Soohwan, Seokhwa looked out the window. It was considered safe to look outside through the window; going out directly was dangerous, but he could occasionally see Adam appearing, as this was the Violet Zone.

Seokhwa chewed more almonds and observed a jeep coming in. The person getting out of the driver’s seat was none other than Kwak Soohwan. Seokhwa was about to shake his hand out of a sudden sense of familiarity but quickly put his hand back in his pocket. Kwak Soohwan was making an impression and talking to a soldier, and the atmosphere seemed tense. Sensing his gaze, he looked up, and Seokhwa, avoiding his eyes, moved to the window.

Seokhwa had to remind himself of the uncomfortable feeling that he had been experiencing for the past few days. Of course, he had more freedom to research here than at the Yeouido Shelter, and Kwak Soohwan provided all the necessary supplies. It wasn’t that he prevented him from going outside, but it wasn’t easy to go out casually either. It was only now that Seokhwa realized he hadn’t been able to leave the place since he came here.

Walking towards the room arranged by Kwak Soohwan, Seokhwa put the last almond into his mouth. As he opened the door, he saw round stones and a note on the desk. Kwak Soohwan had brought them all. Instead of lying on the bed, Seokhwa went to the desk with stones and sat on the chair. He rested his body and leaned his cheek against the cold desk. Absently blinking his eyes, he gazed at the stones.

Is Kwak Soohwan trying to destroy Rainbow City? Eden Garden too? If a cure is developed, does he plan to use it to build a new power? These questions wandered through his mind, but that’s all. Seokhwa’s thoughts were solely focused on the Adam virus. I don’t know anything about politics. I just want the cure to come out soon so that no one has to suffer from Adam anymore. If that happens, Kwak Soohwan wouldn’t have had to kill his parents and siblings.

“Are you awake?”

Seokhwa lifted his gaze upwards. Kwak Soohwan, who entered without him noticing, was right in front of him. As he stood up, Kwak Soohwan stepped back. Seokhwa turned his chair towards him. Somehow, it seemed like there was a smell of blood, but he dismissed it as a hallucination.

Kwak Soohwan took out a Choco Bar and a few tangerines from his uniform pocket and placed them on the desk.

“Major Kwak.”

“Why, don’t you like tangerines?”

“I like them.”

Tangerines were particularly hard to come by.

“Should I peel it for you?”

“I have no immune system.”

Kwak Soohwan skillfully peeled the tangerine without showing any particular reaction. He skillfully cut it in half.

“Even though the Adam virus in me was destroyed, my blood is still infected with the virus. However, if it’s heated to around 45 degrees, the Adam virus is destroyed.”

As he finished speaking, the juicy tangerine entered his lips. Reflexively chewing on the tangerine, the sweet and sour taste spread in his mouth. Seokhwa involuntarily opened his mouth, surprised by the amazing taste. It was a tangerine he hadn’t had a chance to eat even when he was in Jeju Island. Fruits were very expensive.

“Dr. Seok had a fever that reached up to 45 degrees that day.”

Kwak Soohwan peeled off another point of the tangerine and approached Seokhwa’s lips. Seokhwa resisted the impulse of the tangy taste and turned his head.

“Don’t want more?”

He put it in his mouth instead. Smirking, he raised an eyebrow.

“Anything else you need?”

Seokhwa tightly bit his lips and looked inward. Kwak Soohwan patiently waited for him to speak.

“Bring back my stolen Chale.”

“Why make it difficult when it’s not?”

Kwak Soohwan added that Seokhwa is probably in his room. In truth, what Seokhwa wanted to say was not that. He had intended to bring up the question of what if he got infected again. However, given his knowledge of his past, it wasn’t easy for him to talk about it. His role as a researcher and his emotional self were entangled.

“Can you also bring the vaccine that Eden’s Garden distributed?”

At the time, he had been chased away while investigating the vaccine, but he had found a parasite in it. He didn’t mention this fact to other doctors because the vaccine could have been contaminated during transport.

“Is that all?”

“And… Is it possible for me to visit the Yeouido Shelter?”

Kwak Soohwan’s lips softened gently.

“Going to get a rock?”

“No.”

“Should I bring the rocks from my house in Jeju Island here?”

Seokhwa shook his head, expressing that he didn’t understand.

“I think I need to go to the shelter myself.”

“I’ll go for you.”

“Am I unable to enter the shelter because I lost my researcher qualification?”

He knew that he could enter if he got permission. Kwak Soohwan approached, spread the back of the chair, and placed Seokhwa inside.

“This is the safest place. I let you do whatever you want, Dr. Seok.”

“It’s safe, but I can’t stay here forever.”

“Why not? You spent all your time in the shelter in Yeouido.”

Kwak Soohwan, smiling, felt a bit unfamiliar.

“Then… can’t I go outside?”

“Did I detain Dr. Seok? What are you talking about? I’m just saying let’s stay safe until the situation calms down.”

It was only now that Seokhwa realized the true nature of this uncomfortable feeling. Although he denied it, his situation was akin to being detained.

“I promised to protect you.”

Kwak Soohwan, seemingly unaffected, started peeling the tangerine again. Seokhwa looked down at the smoothly peeled tangerine with unease.