Rainbow City

“From the beginning, I never intended to annihilate Adam. Instead, I used that dangerous time bomb to oppress and threaten people. Do you know that there are already countries free from Adam? No, of course, you wouldn’t know. How could you see the outside world when you’re trapped in a well?”

A faint blush appeared on Seokhwa’s face, as if his temperature was rising. Watching him, Kwak Soohwan approached. He didn’t want his person collapsing because of that old man.

“What’s so bad about being trapped in a well? Thanks to it, we’ve been guaranteed safety! You’ve experienced it yourself! The people out there are starving and dying! Yes, you’re right. Since you were valuable, you were provided with good clothes and good food! If your mother had been valuable, she wouldn’t have been left to die like that!”

“What did you say?”

Seokhwa’s clenched fist turned white. The Second realized too late that he had misspoken in his excitement over Seokhwa’s subversive thoughts, but the damage was done.

“I anticipated the First would intervene. But how is that my fault?”

He spoke as if it were someone else’s business, without a hint of guilt. Seokhwa silently stood up and aimed a pistol he had taken out from his bosom at the Second.

So you knew and did nothing?

Kwak Soohwan, who had been focused on Seokhwa, failed to stop his unexpected action in time. In fact, it was more accurate to say he didn’t stop him.

“Do you know what you’re doing now, Dr. Seok?”

The Second’s tone was icy even with a gun pointed at him. Seokhwa gripped the gun so tightly that his palm ached. The pistol’s handle grew warmer from his heat, as if his whole body was engulfed in flames. Had he ever been this furious in his life?

No matter what others said, he never listened. When someone harmed him, he let his anger flow away. Back then, it didn’t matter. He endured because his body ached if he let emotions control him, and his mother embraced his powerlessness. Despite knowing his mother was in danger, the Second had condoned it.

“Did you sacrifice my mother because you needed to send me to Jeju Island?”

“The First acted that way because you were overly zealous in creating the cure. He probably thought you shouldn’t be more deeply involved with Dr. Ohyang Seok.”

Seokhwa’s clenched lips trembled.

“Just for that reason?”

“If you had quietly followed orders, Jinyeon would have lived. Do you think I wasn’t sad? I, too, cherished and loved Jinyeon more than anyone.”

He cherished and loved her, but could let her die? Was it true, as the teacher at the learning center said, that he couldn’t understand emotions like others?

“…Major.”

Seokhwa turned to look at Kwak Soohwan. His eyes were unfocused, as if he were in a trance. However, the gun still pointed at the Second.

“Would you let me die for your goal, Major?”

“No, I would kill the goal.”

Kwak Soohwan couldn’t decide whether to take the gun from Seokhwa or let him kill the Second. Stopping him now would be overstepping his authority.

Before him, it was Seokhwa’s mother who protected him, and he knew better than anyone how a family member’s death could drive someone mad. He couldn’t forgive the Second for spewing such nonsense. The former leader of a nation, now reduced to wielding his three-inch tongue out of inferiority.

“Dr. Seok, you need to understand this clearly. Dr. Seok also bears some responsibility for Jinyeon’s death.”

Seeing Seokhwa’s trembling hand, Kwak Soohwan slammed his fist on the table. The solid wooden plank dented, and his hand turned red.

“I know exactly what kind of person you are. People like you have no guilt. You make others feel guilty instead. Now I see you kept your position by running your mouth.”

“Do you think physical strength is the only kind of power? Sometimes, the little mouth you deride wields greater power.”

Though he pretended to be a rational speaker, he was merely masking his inferiority from being overshadowed by the First family. The Second was just a loser.

“Dr. Seok, give me the gun.”

Kwak Soohwan took the gun from Seokhwa’s hand. He expected him to resist, but he handed it over easily.

“So, will you not accept my help?”

Seeing the food in the cupboard and on the floor, they had at most ten to fifteen days left. He might not be the great negotiator the Second claimed to be, but he was a soldier who survived worse conditions in the city’s depths.

A short and concise gunshot rang out, followed by the old man’s filthy scream. Seokhwa looked at the Second, who had fallen to the floor, curling up. Only after seeing the blood staining the carpet did he realize what had happened.

Blood was pouring from the Second’s leg, pierced by a bullet. The Second’s voice, screaming and cursing at the butler for what he had done and at Kwak Soohwan, filled Seokhwa’s ears.

“If you were pretending to be crippled, you should’ve kept it up to the end.”

Kwak Soohwan’s cold remark brought Seokhwa back to his senses.

The Second had blamed him for his mother’s death. The First had caused her death, but it was the Second who remained silent despite knowing. If he hadn’t been so focused on the cure, would his mother still be alive?

Kwak Soohwan firmly held the staggering Seokhwa. Leaning on him, Seokhwa looked down at the Second, who was groaning in pain.

Regretting wouldn’t bring his mother back; all the fault lay with the city’s leadership. It was never his fault. He wouldn’t let the Second’s words lead him to burden those beside him now. Whether the Second lived or died didn’t matter to him, but if he was still needed, Seokhwa could keep him alive.

Seokhwa stood on his own and approached the Second.

The butler, after tearing the pants to reveal the wound, was fumbling without knowing how to stop the bleeding. Seokhwa pressed his hands against the bleeding thigh. The Second screamed at him to move away, but Seokhwa pressed the wound without a word.

“First, stop the bleeding. Apply pressure to the wound.”

Since the bullet had passed through, there was no need to extract it. Realizing that Kwak Soohwan hadn’t aimed to cripple him, Seokhwa understood that he had only intended to inflict pain on his behalf.

As he pressed the wound, Seokhwa gritted his teeth. He had nearly soiled his hands over mere words. If he had cried out for the Second’s death, Kwak Soohwan would have been more than capable of committing the murder. From this moment on, Seokhwa resolved never to be swayed by any advice. That was also the way to protect Kwak Soohwan.

Kwak Soohwan knelt down and took over pressing the wound from Seokhwa. Shaking the blood off his hands, Seokhwa sprinkled granular hemostatic powder from the emergency kit. Although it acted to coagulate the blood like jelly to stop the bleeding, the wound was deeper than expected, making it hard to stop the bleeding perfectly.

After putting on latex gloves, Seokhwa started stuffing gauze into the gaping wound. The Second, barely suppressing his groans, convulsed, his eyes rolling back.

“Stop whining.”

Kwak Soohwan pinned down the struggling Second from top to bottom. This was a pain all soldiers who faced emergencies had experienced. He had himself stuffed gauze into his own wounds several times. For the Second, who had never faced such physical pain, it must have been even more excruciating. However, no matter how often soldiers were exposed to pain, they never became immune to it. The intensity of pain was always the same for everyone.

After packing the wound with gauze, Seokhwa handed painkillers to the butler.

“These have a sedative effect. Administer them once every seven hours, and replace the gauze once tomorrow.”

The butler, horrified at the thought of having to stuff gauze himself, stared in disbelief.

“It’s more painful to take out the gauze than to put it in. The gauze scrapes against the healing flesh.”

Though he said it to scare him, it was true. As Seokhwa bandaged the Second’s thigh, Kwak Soohwan pulled over a briefcase.

“The password.”

Seeing the Second still out of it, he directed the question to the butler.

“…I don’t know the password either. Only the master knows it.”

The butler, wiping away cold sweat, glanced at Kwak Soohwan, fearing the unrestrained S-class soldier more than anyone. He resolved that if the Second became master again, he would create measures to more effectively control and manage soldiers.

“The password. If you don’t want to tell me, I can blow off the other leg too.”

At Kwak Soohwan’s threat, Seokhwa dragged a chair over and elevated the unconscious Second’s leg. Though it was merely an action to stop the bleeding, the butler gnashed his teeth, realizing these two were determined invaders.

Seokhwa fixed the leg higher than the heart and finally let out a breath. Despite seeing the Second’s face, pale from blood loss, he felt no pity.

“Three seconds.”

“I really don’t know! I swear.”

“Is that so?”

Kwak Soohwan grabbed the handle of the document bag and hoisted it upward. The butler screamed briefly, covering his face with both hands. Kwak Soohwan glanced at him with contempt, then swung the corner of the bag downwards towards the floor. He struck it repeatedly until the joined parts twisted and started to reveal the contents.

Even then, it was sturdy enough that it wasn’t until the carpet tore and cement dust scattered that there was room to put his hand inside. Kwak Soohwan spread the bag open and forcefully tore it apart.

Inside the bag were a single USB and several cell phones rendered unusable after the base station had collapsed. The touch-type phones were a type even Kwak Soohwan hadn’t seen much of. It had been a long time since the factories producing phones had disappeared after the base station malfunctioned. Perhaps they could have been restored adequately, but it was more likely that the high-ranking individuals in the city hadn’t activated communication products to control the citizens.

As he pulled out one of the cell phones and swiped the screen with his hand, fingerprints smudged. Upon turning it on, a cheerful notification sound accompanied the loading screen. At that moment, the sound of metal grinding against metal echoed from somewhere. The source of the grating, piercing noise was not this phone. Likewise, Seokhwa, who had also heard the sound, hurriedly approached Kwak Soohwan from behind.

It was the moment Kwak Soohwan loaded his gun and aimed it towards the entrance of the bunker.

Thud! Someone leaped down from above. The man, lowering his center of gravity, landed safely and even dusted off his hands.

“Oh my. Did I interrupt a peaceful family dinner?”

It was Choi Hoeon, dressed in a black suit. Kwak Soohwan looked up to see if there were any soldiers following him. Choi Hoeon spread his hands wide and smiled pleasantly.

“Don’t worry, it’s just me here. I came alone so my little brother wouldn’t be scared.”

Though Kwak Soohwan wanted to put a bullet hole in Choi Hoeon’s forehead for his nonsense, if he didn’t kill him outright, he might shoot Seokhwa. Besides, he knew him well. Moving carelessly would only create openings, and now more than ever, he had to maintain extreme vigilance.

“You don’t really believe that, do you? There must be about twenty S-class generals waiting up there.”

“How…”

The butler’s steps faltered as he asked how he found this bunker. He seemed to be looking for an escape route, perhaps even a panic room.

“Mother.”

Choi Hoeon casually called for “Mother”.

Mother’s mechanical voice echoed throughout the bunker.

“The Second Master tried to access Mother due to lingering feelings. Well, it was just that one time, but thanks to that, we can have a family meeting like this. Now, Mother, shall we start the count?”

As Choi Hoeon spoke, Kwak Soohwan grabbed Seokhwa’s arm. Though he didn’t know why the man had come down alone, seeing him chanting the countdown suggested there might be other intruders. Even if there were soldiers above, there wouldn’t be much difficulty in dealing with them one by one, considering how narrow the entrance was.

“Dr. Seok, Captain Kwak Soohwan, it’s so nice to see you with my own eyes. Even so, you should respond to the radio. Since there was no response, I thought something was up, so I rushed here like this.”

As Choi Hoeon laughed and took a step forward…

Boom! With the thunderous explosion from behind, the ground shook. The door panel, hanging on the wall behind the tapestry, flew off, and a nauseating smell akin to sulfur rushed in instantly. The butler, still leaning against the blown-off door, widened his eyes.

Thud, thud, thud. It was the sound of military boots rushing towards the light through the darkness. Along with it, eerie screams echoed as if echoing out of holes. It felt as if his legs were tied up in fear, as if he had seen a roaring tiger right in front of him. “Take cover!” Seokhwa shouted, and at that moment the figure emerging from the darkness lunged at the butler, tearing at his throat. Along with the torn flesh, red blood spurted into the air.

“Dr. Seok, now!” Kwak Soohwan lifted the table with his foot, pushing Seokhwa into hiding inside it. Simultaneously, fierce gunfire erupted, and Choi Hoeon quickly closed the distance. Despite being hit squarely in the chest, possibly wearing a bulletproof vest, he rushed in without hesitation.

In the struggle for the gun with Choi Hoeon, the muzzle rose upwards, and the fired bullet lodged into the ceiling. Damn it! Kwak Soohwan threw the gun towards the table where Seokhwa was hiding and then punched Choi Hoeon’s jaw.

If he had hit him squarely, he would have fallen, but lowering his center of gravity, Choi Hoeon avoided the punch and retaliated with a fist towards Kwak Soohwan’s temple. Blocking the impact by spreading his hand, while seizing Choi Hoeon’s fist, he grabbed it tightly. As he did, the sharp tip of a jackknife grazed his chest. Even though his uniform shirt was torn, he quickly pulled back, avoiding the chest cut thanks to his quick retreat.

Choi Hoeon’s gaze angled towards the edge of the table. Kwak Soohwan didn’t miss a beat and stepped forward, striking his collarbone with his elbow. Crack. Seeing him stagger, Kwak Soohwan extended his opposite fist in a straight line. This time, he felt the impact properly reverberate through his knuckles. But before he could let his guard down, Adam came charging from behind, grabbing him by the head and slamming him to the ground.

As Choi Hoeon, spitting blood, immediately pulled out a gun from his side and aimed at Kwak Soohwan, who used the fallen Adam as a shield in front of him. Bang, bang, bang! Three shots rang out, deeply embedding into Adam’s body, as Kwak Soohwan closed the distance as much as possible.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Adam was now busier dealing with the two men still alive than the unconscious Second. It was a challenge to handle Choi Hoeon alone, let alone exposing his back to Adam. However, if he were to change direction and face Choi Hoeon, the corner where Seokhwa was hiding would become a blind spot.

With Adam’s breath pouring heavily from behind, Kwak Soohwan lowered his center of gravity and grabbed his throat. Then, he shoved Adam’s jaw wide open and hurled him towards Choi Hoeon. Dodging swiftly, Choi Hoeon mercilessly stomped on Adam’s head with a sickening crunch underfoot.

“You damn bastard. You’re still the same, Adam.”

“I’m fine as long as I protect myself, but Dr. Seok needs to be protected too, right? You should use every advantage you have.”

Kwak Soohwan glanced again at Seokhwa. Though she was well-hidden, with not a single strand of hair visible, there was no room for reassurance. Before attacking Choi Hoeon, he sent the charging Adams towards him and personally dispatched the remaining ones. While people strategized their attacks, Adam, being instinctual, posed the variable on his side. Aware of this, Choi Hoeon couldn’t focus solely on Kwak Soohwan.

Glancing briefly behind him, Kwak Soohwan checked the remaining number of Adams. He had expected a continuous stream of them, but apart from the ones who had already been taken out, only one or two crawled out belatedly. The only exit in this bunker was the circular passage above the iron ladder. It presented a somewhat different scenario from when the 21st Violet Division stormed in with Adam as their main assault.

Damn it, why can’t you handle that, Adam?

Of course, Kwak Soohwan himself couldn’t afford to get infected due to the lack of vaccine effectiveness, but it meant that it wasn’t just him who had vulnerabilities. Kwak Soohwan unfolded his Gerber knife and pierced Adam’s eye, who was considerably larger in size. After spinning it around once and giving it a good jab into his abdomen, he flung it towards Choi Hoeon, who was facing off against Adam. The blade narrowly missed his cheek, slicing through the air. Dodging it, Choi Hoeon grinned briefly with a furrowed brow.

“Major Kwak, you’ve gotten a lot messier in my absence.”

“Being honest with a messy bastard like you only puts me at a disadvantage.”

“If I came here to talk, will you believe me? Dr. Seok, can you hear me?”

Seokhwa was crouched behind the table, her ears perked up. She hadn’t forgotten the moment she tightly gripped the gun Kwak Soohwan had sent her.

The sound of Adam’s bones breaking and the melee between the two men had to be discerned solely through hearing. If Adam detected her and launched an attack, Kwak Soohwan could be left vulnerable in the worst-case scenario.

Shocked by the impact on the table, Kwak Soohwan glanced sideways. He spotted Adam, who had been thrown towards him, discovering Seokhwa hiding there. Despite having his lower jaw torn off and bleeding profusely, he was crawling towards her. Trying to move back, she found herself blocked by the wall, unable to move further. Adam, slowly inching closer, reached out his hand, almost touching Seokhwa’s body.

Should he shoot? What if Adam were to focus more on him after the gunshot? Maybe it would be better to smash his head with the handle…

Even though he is not Kwak Soohwan, he couldn’t easily crush someone’s skull. Pressed against the wall, Seokhwa hoped Adam wouldn’t crawl any closer. The sweat pouring down his forehead streamed into his eyes. He couldn’t even wipe his stinging eyes with his hands, instead squeezing them shut and reopening them.

Since his lower jaw was missing, his voice was incredibly eerie. Had the Second Master been bitten by Adam? The moment he resolved to fire at Adam, who was creeping closer…

Crunch! As if only that spot were subjected to immense gravity, Adam’s head was crushed against the floor. The broken teeth scattered around, and his outstretched arms trembled a few times before dropping to the ground. Seokhwa confirmed it was Kwak Soohwan by his combat boots. Hurriedly peering out, she saw Choi Hoeon’s fist smoothly extending towards Kwak Soohwan. Kwak Soohwan, raising both arms to guard, was pushed back, locking eyes with Seokhwa.

It seemed as if he was asking just that. Once he made sure Seokhwa was safe, he turned back to Choi Hoeon and pushed with all his strength to keep as far away as possible. With his mouth wide open from the impact, blood was pouring out of his nose. The brief image of Kwak Soohwan that had passed by lingered in his mind.

Seokhwa flipped over and once again peeked out from under the table. The floor was soaked with blood, and Adam’s body was sprawled all over the place. Meanwhile, the Second Master, who had regained consciousness, was hiding in a corner, covered in blood.

Kwak Soohwan and Choi Hoeon exchanged punches amidst the pile of bodies. The sound of impacts grew louder, suffocating Seokhwa. As she momentarily slipped in the blood, Choi Hoeon wrapped his arms around Kwak Soohwan’s neck from behind and pulled him back. Crossing his arms to prevent him from escaping, Kwak Soohwan deliberately toppled backward. Even though he struck Choi Hoeon’s ribcage with his elbow, the pulling force remained tremendous. Seokhwa hurriedly grabbed the gun and ran towards them.

“Dr. Seok!” The Second Master called out weakly, but Seokhwa didn’t even glance in his direction.

“Release that arm right now, or I’ll shoot.”

The distance was close, but the two men were overlapping, so Seokhwa didn’t have the confidence to snipe Choi Hoeon. Even now, most of his body was obscured by Kwak Soohwan, and Choi Hoeon could move his body when firing the gun.

Kwak Soohwan grabbed Choi Hoeon’s arm. The veins were bulging on Kwak Soohwan’s face. Choi Hoeon didn’t release his arm as if daring him to shoot. Seokhwa suddenly felt afraid. He knew Choi Hoeon was strong, but he hadn’t expected him to have the strength to match Kwak Soohwan. But there was no time to delay here. Seokhwa widened his eyes and firmly grasped the gun.

Bang! He fired the gun above Choi Hoeon’s head, and in that moment, Kwak Soohwan quickly pulled his arm away. Thud, cough, thud! He coughed up saliva he couldn’t swallow for a long time due to choking. It was the moment when Choi Hoeon was about to stick the fallen jackknife into his back.

Bang! Once again, the gunshot rang out from Seokhwa’s hand. The jackknife fell softly onto the thick carpet.

“Let’s just talk… Why is this so difficult?”

The suit sleeve was soaked with blood. Blood dripped beneath it. With his arms clenched, Choi Hoeon looked at Seokhwa as if resenting him.

“Step away from Major Kwak.”

“Shoot…!”

The old man’s rough voice came from behind.

“What are you doing! Now…! Shoot!”

As Seokhwa aimed the muzzle at Second, the old man widened his eyes. Seokhwa fired the handgun without hesitation once again. Second covered his face with his hand. This couldn’t happen. Shooting Second instead of Choi Hoeon. Yet, the pain was only in his thigh, so Second confirmed he was still alive. Beside him, the servant who had turned into Adam and had been trying to attack the Master lay sprawled.

“Dr. Seok.”

Kwak Soohwan pushed Seokhwa behind him and cursed. Elite soldiers who had already formed up were pointing rifles at them. If Seokhwa had sniped Choi Hoeon as Second had said, bullets would have rained down. If the current Master died here, the only one the elite soldiers would follow would be Second, and he knew that, yet he was willing to sacrifice his son. His dirty trickery was infuriating.

“I bet you’d rather be alone. Isn’t that what you think?”

Choi Hoeon opened his mouth toward Kwak Soohwan.

“There are a lot of gaps. I thought I could handle at least one easily, but when it comes to protecting Dr. Seok, your focus gets scattered, doesn’t it?”

Choi Hoeon walked to where the dining table had been, lifted a tattered briefcase, and shook it. He picked up scattered cell phones and USBs, shaking his head as if to say, “What’s this?” Seokhwa grabbed the coat of his suit, which had become a shroud, from behind Kwak Soohwan. If they were taken away like this, Kwak Soohwan’s life would not be guaranteed. Of course, it was the same for him. Seokhwa released the hand he had grasped against him, stood next to him.

“…What do you want?”

“What do I want? It’s our family.”

Choi Hoeon looked at Seokhwa as if he was asking something so obvious it was almost absurd. Kwak Soohwan continued to suppress the boiling blood. Coming here may have been a mistake, but Second Master was more foolish and insignificant than he had thought. It was pitiful how he exposed his location by connecting to Mother.

When safe within the fence, one could act rationally, but when pushed into a corner, true nature showed. Second Master couldn’t even become a mouse in a corner.

Of course, as long as Choi Hoeon controlled Rainbow City, a meeting would have been inevitable at some point. He just hoped it wouldn’t be now. He didn’t want to act against Seokhwa’s opinion because Seokhwa was too precious to him. It was cowardly. It wasn’t because Seokhwa was precious to him, but because he was afraid Seokhwa might hate him even a little. In the past, he would have broken and killed any obstacles to his goal, or he might have forcibly kept Seokhwa in Russia against his will.

“Well then. Shall we go home?”

Choi Hoeon clapped his hands lightly together.

“Oh, before that.”

As he gestured to the soldier, the running soldier handed him a pistol. Choi Hoeon aimed the muzzle at Second. Second was in a state of unconsciousness again due to excessive bleeding.

Unbelievably, Choi Hoeon pierced Second’s forehead with the gun.

This time, he turned the muzzle toward them.

“Don’t be nervous. I have no intention of harming Major Kwak, who my brother cherishes terribly, nor do I dislike Major Kwak. He’s special, isn’t he? When you think about how much our father poured his heart into him.”

Phew, he bowed his head as if acting in a play. Kwak Soohwan had been simulating all along. He had considered various ways to escape with Seokhwa, but there were too many soldiers. The possibility of getting shot was low, but if he did get shot, recovering would be more of a problem. While he had to hide and wait here, if he had bad luck, he could get infected through wounds and necrosis could occur…

Major, for now, let’s watch the situation.

Seokhwa grabbed his wrist, fearing that Kwak Soohwan might act recklessly. While he wasn’t sure what Choi Hoeon was up to, he didn’t seem inclined to kill or execute them on the spot as he had done before.

As Choi Hoeon gestured, soldiers approached and seized Kwak Soohwan’s arm. They twisted his arm backwards and pressed it down, while two or three rushed forward to forcefully push Kwak Soohwan to the ground. He ended up with his limbs pinned back like a lab animal as handcuffs were slapped on him. If it were anyone else, they could have easily escaped and survived. He didn’t deserve such treatment.

“Doctor.”

In a tone that implied no rebellion, Seokhwa extended his hands forward. With the handcuffs on, his hands lost their freedom.

“Doctor Choi Hoeon, you wanted to talk to me, right?”

“Yes, it seems like dinner was missed, so let’s go home and talk there.”

Choi Hoeon, who was still bleeding from his arm, seemed oblivious to pain, almost childlike in his excitement.

“Then promise not to harm Major Kwak, please.”

“Of course. There are plenty of empty seats at our dinner table.”

Kwak Soohwan scanned the soldiers one by one. If he managed to wrestle a rifle from one and counterattack, they might not escape. The problem was Choi Hoeon. He had previously shown an attitude that he didn’t care if Seokhwa got hurt as long as his life was spared. That was the difference between him and Choi Hoeon. Consequently, it was difficult for him to exert his full strength.

Three soldiers began to climb the metal ladder first. Only after they had gone outside and aimed their guns did they allow Kwak Soohwan to climb up. Two soldiers followed him closely, and due to the handcuffs binding his hands, it was difficult for him to maintain balance, and he was even grabbed by the collar a few times. Now it was Seokhwa’s turn. Holding onto the ladder with handcuffed hands, he looked back.

Second Master, the father who had only provided him with genes, lay dead below, mingled with Adams. He had sought power through Adams, but in the end, he was with Adams.

“Second is not worthy of being family.”

Choi Hoeon, who was below, said. Seokhwa said nothing and started climbing again. Meanwhile, Choi Hoeon scattered the oil he had brought down all over the bunker. As a final touch, he lit a lighter and threw it down below. Flames spread in an instant, and soon Second Master’s body was engulfed in flames. Upon reaching the surface, Choi Hoeon kicked the entrance shut. The heat of the fire burning below could be felt here. There was a dull sound of something exploding, then silence.

Kwak Soohwan had to ride in the first jeep, and Seokhwa had to ride in the one behind it. Kwak Soohwan was lost in thought until he walked to the jeep. The soldiers’ gun barrels moved along with his movement. He looked back at Seokhwa before getting into the jeep. His gaze slowly rose from the handcuffed wrists to his face.

It was unclear what he was thinking, but Seokhwa stared back at him as expressionlessly as usual, hiding his anxiety. Honestly, he couldn’t think of any way out now. They were powerless against immense power. The goal was simply to eliminate Adam. But the process was complicated.

Kwak Soohwan turned his head first and got into the jeep. With darkness enveloping everything, even his back could no longer be seen.

Seokhwa spoke to Choi Hoeon, who was sitting beside him.

“What will you do with Major Kwak?”

He asked calmly, despite his anxiety.

“What do you think I’ll do? I’ve never done anything to Major Kwak. It’s always Major Kwak who has interfered with me. He prevented the reunion of brothers and took Dr. Seok away from me.”

Choi Hoeon squeezed Seokhwa’s hand, who reached out to him. Surprisingly, his hand was as cold as Kwak Soohwan’s.

“Those friends of yours can be a bit rough.”

Choi Hoeon received the handcuff key from a soldier who had climbed up first and freed Seokhwa’s hands.

“Let’s go.”

He signaled, and their jeep started running ahead after the first jeep. Seokhwa turned around, but he still couldn’t see inside the jeep where Choi Hoeon was. Choi Hoeon grabbed Seokhwa’s remaining hand and brought it to his cheek. When Seokhwa tried to withdraw his hand in discomfort, Choi Hoeon held it tighter.

Turning his head to the side to look at him, he gently pressed Seokhwa’s hand against his cheek.

“What are you doing?”

“Our mother used to do this often.”

Seokhwa’s lips parted in confusion. His mother had indeed always lovingly held both of his cheeks.

“Mother was warm like this too.”

Choi Hoeon closed his eyes as if lost in old memories. The slight upward curve of his lips indicated that he was recalling fond memories. Seokhwa couldn’t even pull his hand from Choi Hoeon’s grip and could only look back at the federal.

Choi Hoeon had no idea that Seokhwa disliked being physically manipulated. But even if he did, Seokhwa doubted whether Choi Hoeon would respect him like Kwak Soohwan did.

“You don’t have to worry too much. Major Kwak is a very capable soldier, isn’t he?”

Choi Hoeon narrowed his eyes.

***

Watching the car Seokhwa was in move, Kwak Soohwan stretched his legs behind the passenger seat. His handcuffed wrists were placed over the handle of the jeep.

“Major Kwak, please behave yourself. I beg you.”

The lieutenant in the passenger seat addressed Kwak Soohwan, who was sitting behind the driver’s seat.

“Do you know me?”

“Yes, I know you, but Major, you probably don’t know me.”

The lieutenant had been to a scene commanded by Kwak Soohwan only once. Having seen Kwak Soohwan in action, he couldn’t relax. He had been cautious even when handcuffing him, but it felt like Kwak Soohwan was holding back. It was probably because of Dr. Seok, who had left ahead.

He was curious about what kind of ideology brought together a doctor and a soldier with no common ground. The lieutenant was so surprised to hear that Kwak Soohwan was wanted that he doubted his ears. Kwak Soohwan was admired by soldiers without backgrounds because he had been promoted quickly.

“Why did Major leave the city?”

The lieutenant couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked. Kwak Soohwan continued to stare in the direction Seokhwa had gone without answering. He was assessing the distance.

“Is the vaccine… really true? It’s just a rumor. They say the Eden Sanctuary followers have been vaccinated. Was it developed by Dr. Seok? Outside the city?”

“Shut up. Aren’t we leaving?”

Seokhwa and him were now quite far apart. Maybe these guys were trying to kill him. If so, Choi Hoeon might have overestimated them.

“Did Major Kwak get vaccinated too?”

“Damn it, no, I’m not a Major, you bastard. What does this guy know? He’s just a wanted rebel, isn’t he?”

A colonel who had returned after clearing the area slapped the lieutenant on the back of his head.

“Hey, you bastard, don’t cause us trouble. Let’s go quietly, huh?”

The colonel aimed his rifle sideways at Kwak Soohwan.

“I heard you were a controller. Damn it, if it were me, I’d be loyal from head to toe.”

Are these guys all talk? Kwak Soohwan spat out the blood in his mouth onto the ground. He seemed to have enough strength for this distance.

Contrary to expectations, the radio sounded from the front car. It seemed like they were giving orders only after distancing themselves from Seokhwa. The guy aiming the gun at him flipped a black cloth over Kwak Soohwan’s face. Although he pretended to be calm, those who knew Kwak Soohwan well didn’t relax even for a moment.

“Car 2 is now departing.”

Kwak Soohwan started counting to ten in his head as soon as the car started moving. It wasn’t difficult to draw the terrain he had seen while coming up, and it was exactly one second. The sound of water crashing into the surface became completely clear. He took a deep breath. The other side was undoubtedly a cliff where valley water fell. Now is the time. He put a lot of strength into his arms and hung on to the handle, lifting his body. At the same time, he gathered both legs inward, then suddenly extended them, kicking the guy sitting next to him.

With tremendous recoil, the colonel fell out of the door along with the door, waving his rifle. Kwak Soohwan quickly removed the cloth that covered his face.

“Major Kim!”

The Major also hastily aimed the gun backward.

“Hey, you bastard! Stop the car! Catch him first, not me! Ahh! Damn it, why aren’t you stopping the car?!”

The guy who was suddenly attacked was holding onto the lieutenant’s head with both hands, not even managing to grab the rifle. The speed at which the jeep was running was incredible, and he couldn’t pull his body inside, which was pushed out. When the lieutenant reached out to grab the colonel, Kwak Soohwan kicked him again and sent him completely over the cliff.

The Major, who gave up on the colonel, turned his body around, but he couldn’t shoot in this narrow space.

He is faster.

The sound of a loud horn was heard. It was the head of the driver pierced by an accidental shot, stuck to the steering wheel.

Hastily, he stretched out his legs toward the lieutenant trying to stop the car and wedged his neck, cutting off oxygen in an instant, causing the guy to pass out. Kwak Soohwan forcefully pushed down the handcuffed handle. Damn it. The handle of the military jeep was also designed to accommodate handcuffs, so it didn’t break easily.

As the jeep rattled down the mountain path, the steering wheel also turned on its own. Now, the jeep began to dart more fiercely towards the right.

Stretching out his legs and pushing the ceiling, he pulled the handcuffs towards himself. Flesh squeezed through the handcuffs, and blood dripped down his face.

Just as it seemed like droplets of blood were flowing upward towards the ceiling instead of downward, the car began to plunge into the valley.