Rainbow City

That day, the support team recovered only two bodies from the valley: a driver with a hole in his head and Major, whose entire body was shattered from the fall. Even with just those bodies, it was clear what had happened in the jeep. Seokhwa was relieved that Kwak Soohwan was alive, but since the bodies had been delivered, he had received no further news.They scouted the escape routes and kept a close watch on the surroundings, but after being transferred to the Yeouido shelter, all exits were blocked. The only possible option was to jump out with a parachute as before. However, since Choi Hoeon was elected as the master, the shelter had been completely reorganized, making everything unfamiliar.For several days, Seokhwa thought he was just feeling anemic, but it wasn’t because he hadn’t been eating properly. Even if he felt like vomiting, he forced something down. Suddenly, he felt something trickling from his nose, and when he touched it, it was a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop for over ten minutes. As the bleeding continued, Seokhwa could no longer stand on his own two feet.Choi Hoeon called the medical team to give him a red blood cell transfusion, but that was when the real hell began. The bleeding had been due to an abnormality in his hemoglobin levels, but after the transfusion, he bled even more. Could the transfused red blood cells have had an adverse reaction with the vaccine?It felt as if someone had put him in a centrifuge and spun him until his entire body was falling apart. His consciousness flickered in and out, and the sensation of the IV fluid moving through him was chilling each time he came to.“Have you ever received a blood transfusion from Major Kwak Soohwan?”“Dr. Seokhwa? Seokhwa?”“……We’ve stopped the bleeding.”“Burn everything to prevent infection.”The voices of people echoed indistinctly as if in a cave. It seemed as if his eardrums had lost their function, and he could hear nothing more, making his mind grow even fainter. The last thing he feared was that he might not be able to open his eyes again.***“Are you awake?”Choi Hoeon, who had slowed the rate of the IV drip, smiled kindly. His black suit looked like mourning clothes, making Seokhwa wonder if his own death was near.“You must be very hungry.”Choi Hoeon pressed a button at the head of the bed, slowly raising it. Seokhwa had to sit up slightly, half against his will. Choi Hoeon brought a cup of liquid soup with a straw, but Seokhwa didn’t even have the strength to suck. Fortunately, the bleeding had stopped; the sheets were white and clean.When Seokhwa showed no reaction, Choi Hoeon put a latex-gloved hand into his mouth, gently dripping warm water to moisten his parched throat.A spoonful of soup approached his lips, and Seokhwa slowly swallowed it. Even though it was just making his throat move, it took all the strength he had.“Do you know how worried I was, thinking you might never wake up?”Looking up, he saw Choi Hoeon, relieved. He couldn’t understand why Choi Hoeon was so attached to him when they had lived as strangers. When Choi Hoeon put a hand on his forehead, the cool touch reminded Seokhwa of Kwak Soohwan.“……I want to see him.”Choi Hoeon bent down to hear Seokhwa’s cracked voice.I want to see Soohwan. Please let me go.But Choi Hoeon didn’t seem to hear, straightening up and continuing to spoon-feed him the soup.“If it’s hard to eat, should I insert a feeding tube?”It was liquid food, so it should be fine. Choi Hoeon acted like a caring brother, but Seokhwa swallowed each spoonful with effort. It took over an hour to finish less than half a mug of the liquid food. Choi Hoeon didn’t hurry him, focusing solely on making sure Seokhwa finished the soup.Seokhwa looked at the clock and then closed his eyes again. He fell asleep feeling the IV fluid flowing through him, and when he woke up, his wrist had a bandage instead of a needle.He slowly sat up, but his strength gave out, causing him to collapse. He curled up, catching his breath in the same position for a long time before finally stepping out of bed. Despite the persistent dizziness from the blood loss, his mind was clearer. He fumbled through the dark room until he found a cold cement wall to lean on and began to move forward. After walking slowly for some time, he found a metal doorknob. When he turned it, the door opened more easily than expected.The bright light from the hallway ceiling stabbed at his eyes, and he raised his hand to shield them. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw Choi Hoeon sitting ahead. The change in his attire to a shirt and pants indicated a new day.Seokhwa calmly scanned the room where Choi Hoeon was. By the window, there were various potted plants and hydroponically grown plants, while on one side, there were chemical reactors and sampling machines. It seemed to be a laboratory, with blackout curtains drawn behind Choi Hoeon.Seokhwa walked out and grabbed a bottle of mineral water. Not seeing a cup, he just unscrewed the cap and drank straight from the bottle. Choi Hoeon spun his chair around and got up to approach Seokhwa.“You did well to get up. Staying in bed would have been worse for your health. How are you feeling?”Seokhwa couldn’t tell if his body felt light or heavy. As he continued to drink the water, he noticed that Choi Hoeon seemed to be in a very good mood.“…How long has it been?”There was a clock here, but no calendar.“About four days.”Choi Hoeon lightly took Seokhwa’s wrist and led him to where the monitor was. He pulled out a chair and sat Seokhwa on the leather seat.“Handle me with care.”Seokhwa’s voice was cold and somber.“You have no idea how anxiously I waited for you to wake up.”Choi Hoeon, unperturbed, tapped the screen. Cracks appeared on the previously calm surface.“Take a look.”He gently placed his hands on Seokhwa’s shoulders. On the screen connected to the microscope, a virus resembling a diamond shape appeared. It was the Adam virus.The reason people infected with the Adam virus exhibited aggressive tendencies lay in the brain. Serotonin, known to suppress aggression, ceased to be secreted once infected with the Adam virus, and the prefrontal cortex’s function was also lost. The reason Adams could move despite losing bones or flesh was that their abnormal brain activity prevented them from feeling pain. Thus, the most effective way to kill an Adam was to destroy the head or remove the heart.The vaccine Seokhwa developed caused the Adam virus to cease activity in the bloodstream. This success was due to the hypothesis he and Dr. Oh Yang had established, which involved finding a virus with new traits generated in birds. Existing bird species were largely divided into two categories: those infected with both the new strain of influenza and the Adam virus, and those that were not.Birds that fed on Adam corpses without getting infected belonged to the former category. The new strain of influenza and the Adam virus couldn’t simultaneously remain active in the bloodstream. Birds exposed to both viruses would lay eggs that hatched into carriers, as the virus DNA was included. Birds, having much shorter lifespans than humans, resulted in most current bird species being carriers of both viruses.The vaccine was produced over three months by identifying an antigen that induced a cessation of activity from the new strain of influenza. However, the Adam virus seen on the monitor was aggressively destroying red blood cells. For an ordinary person, infection would lead to brain death shortly after.It was a virus with immense destructive power, far greater than any seen before.“Aren’t you curious whose blood sample this is? It’s from someone who received the vaccine.”Choi Hoeon clasped Seokhwa’s hands together as if in applause.“And this new Adam virus.”It came from Dr. Seokhwa’s body and was identical to what was found in Major Kwak Soohwan’s blood.Choi Hoeon’s words were so shocking that Seokhwa didn’t even notice the breath tickling the back of his neck.“My father used to say that to be free from the Adams, one must embrace the virus itself.”Choi Hoeon’s eyes gleamed strangely.“That’s the true new human race.”***About five years after the establishment of Rainbow City under the United Nations system, the UN lost its power and disbanded.When one’s own bowl is full, there’s the luxury of filling someone else’s empty bowl, but as nations scrambled to take care of themselves, it was a wonder the system lasted even five years. Nations signed non-aggression pacts until they returned to normalcy, and Rainbow City became a self-governing body.While the UN existed, unethical experiments couldn’t be conducted openly, but as a self-governing body, there was nothing to fear. Rainbow City gathered outstanding scholars from among the survivors. Their fields extended beyond virology and biology to include historians and archaeologists, all united in seeking ways to overcome the virus.They proposed countless hypotheses and conducted human experiments. After decades of research, they realized one definitive truth: the Adam virus couldn’t be dealt with using current technology.The rebel claim that the city deliberately mutated the Adam virus seemed absurd in some ways. This was a city that couldn’t even create a proper vaccine. How could they possibly create a mutated virus? It was nearly impossible. However, the city’s masters both denied and leveraged these rumors. Claiming the ability to create a mutated virus suggested they had the necessary technological prowess.Saying, “We do not have the technology to prevent the mutating Adam virus,” was less effective in controlling people than, “We have the technology to modify the Adam virus, but as a government that creates vaccines to help, do not challenge us recklessly.”Of course, to the researchers who knew the whole truth, a virus without a cure was a tremendous source of fear. They tried to find those with immune antibodies, but they couldn’t randomly inject the virus into an unspecified number of people. Thus, the city and the researchers decided to target specific individuals.Why were there immune individuals only from Jeju Island? The answer was very simple. Experiments were conducted on Jeju residents. Eventually, the number of indigenous experimental subjects decreased, and the powerful individuals who came from outside created their utopia.Genetic editing based on various research data was attempted almost simultaneously with the public revelation of the Garden of Eden. It all started with a common purpose. Dr. Wonho, Seokhwa’s mother, and Kwak Soohwan’s parents.They wanted future generations to be free from the virus, using the paradise of Eden as their foundation. Ironically, the Four Rivers did not believe in God. If there were a God, He would not have allowed the birth of a virus capable of annihilating humanity.The Four Rivers dared to challenge the domain of God by attempting to create life. Countless embryos were sacrificed, and even more were born with disabilities.“Back then, when I heard they were going to do that crazy thing, I went straight to Russia.”The Old Man gulped down the liquor from his hip flask. The soldiers surrounding the Old Man were silent like ghosts. There was no excitement akin to grandchildren gathered around a grandfather listening to old stories. Only unavoidable truths were piling up.Kwak Soohwan gripped his phone tightly, unable to press the password.“Do you think those researchers knew something big? No, they didn’t. If they did, those countless children wouldn’t have died. The ones born without any issues are the mutants living now. Ironically, they said the birth of mutants was a gift from God and a miracle.”The Old Man chuckled, clutching his belly.“My parents were also virus researchers, but they were executed as soon as they opposed them.”Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa, along with other mutants, were born through genetic editing. The Second Master probably started with them. Then the Four Rivers diverged in their purposes, and for some reason, the parents hid him and his brother. Seokhwa’s mother, Lee Jinyeon, also raised Seokhwa without revealing the truth.The cause of the split in the Four Rivers likely lay with Dr. Wonho. However, Kwak Soohwan couldn’t care less about such things.“Do you know why I always felt uneasy about you, Kwak? You’re going to hell.”“How dare that Old Man!”Commander Cha bristled, but Kwak Soohwan reached out to stop him.“Don’t keep calling him Old Man, Old Man. It’s disrespectful. But when I think about it, what crime did the doctor and you commit? You idiot, you utter fool. Tsk tsk. Who told you to leave so soon?”“Why did the Old Man follow us all the way here?”The fact that the Old Man, who was well past his prime, had followed them indicated that what he had to say was as important as his life. Otherwise, this eccentric old man wouldn’t have followed the transcontinental train route threatened by beasts.“Kwak, have you ever had a cold in your life?”If he kept spouting nonsense, Kwak Soohwan was ready to end his life right there. However, his body froze.“Hmph, you haven’t, have you.”The Old Man’s words were true. He had never had a cold. It seemed natural, and he had always assumed it was because he was exceptionally healthy.“Kwak, the city made a monster like you. You are free from all viruses. That means you can be a host for all viruses.”Kwak Soohwan abruptly reached out and grabbed the Old Man by the collar. He kept remembering the time he was called a poison, and his grip tightened.“So, what’s the problem with that?”“The problem is something you should well know. When I first saw you mutants, I didn’t think it would be this bad. So, I thought blood transfusions wouldn’t be an issue.”“Blood transfusions…?”Kwak Soohwan asked, his eyes sharp and piercing.“Where is the doctor now?”***Seokhwa was once again having a nosebleed. He was practically isolated in the infirmary within the shelter, with a large plastic curtain surrounding his bed. Although he had regained consciousness, he had passed out several times again, making it hard to tell how much time had passed. Still, he felt much more clear-headed than the last time he woke up.Blood dripped from his nose onto the bed sheets.“Ah, damn it, hey!”Yoo Jungkyung, who was watching Seokhwa, shouted loudly. He threw a tissue box, hitting Seokhwa on the forehead with its corner.“You can’t even handle this, you idiot.”Yoo Jungkyung, who had been sitting with his legs crossed on a folding chair, spat out his gum.“The master seems to cherish you quite a bit, huh? This isn’t just something he did with Kwak Soohwan?”He made a sound like compressing air with his hands. Ignoring Choi Hoeon’s order to just watch, Yoo Jungkyung approached Seokhwa. Even though he was so angry that he raised his hand, Seokhwa just sat there blankly, bleeding from his nose.The nosebleed wasn’t continuous like before; it stopped and then started flowing thinly again. The more it happened, the sharper Seokhwa’s vision and hearing seemed to become. It felt strangely refreshing, as if the excess blood in his body was being expelled.“Hey, do you have some kind of illness?”Ignoring Yoo Jungkyung’s raised voice, Seokhwa thought about the virus Choi Hoeon had shown him. He was an immune carrier, and the vaccine had worked on him. But now they said there was a new Adam virus in his body. The astonishing part was that he hadn’t mutated into an Adam.Seokhwa could only come to one firm hypothesis: the blood he received that day at the northern branch of the Garden of Eden was not ordinary Adam blood.‘It came from our Seokhwa Doctor and was identical to the blood found in Major Kwak Soohwan.’Kwak Soohwan must have been infected with the Adam virus before. However, he himself had no issues because the Adam virus remained dormant in his body.It was possible that Kwak Soohwan had swapped out the Adam’s blood with his own that day. He didn’t want Seokhwa to receive the Adam’s blood.Seokhwa took a tissue and pressed it under his nose. The bleeding had stopped.So far, no vaccine had worked on Kwak Soohwan. This implied that he didn’t need a vaccine in the first place. A flawless mutant and a new human, Seokhwa now understood that phrase. He also understood why Choi Hoeon referred to Kwak Soohwan as a stud horse.He was free from all viruses. Kwak Soohwan’s DNA included the immune system against viruses, so all his offspring would be born immune to viruses.Kwak Soohwan’s descendants would be free from not only the Adam virus but also all existing diseases. However, Seokhwa wasn’t sure if his body was in the process of necrosis or fusion after receiving Kwak Soohwan’s blood. He had experienced a severe illness after receiving a blood transfusion from Kwak Soohwan in Russia, but he had survived. If his immune system was established from the first transfusion, he would likely be fine with the second, although there could be issues with the vaccine he received that day.“Hey, are you crazy?”As he organized his thoughts and muttered to himself, Yoo Jungkyung grabbed his hair.“…Let go.”“No.”“Hah… Get away from me.”When Seokhwa tried to push him away, Yoo Jungkyung slapped him hard across the face.“Damn it, I’m not interested in a guy’s hole, okay? Get away? Should I drop your balls instead? Bleeding from your nose and collapsing, can you even function as a man?”He grabbed Seokhwa’s cheek roughly, twisting it back and forth.“Should I take it off for you?”When he reached down, Seokhwa struggled. Yoo Jungkyung really seemed intent on ripping it off. Seokhwa grabbed anything he could reach and threw it, the corner of the tissue box hitting Yoo Jungkyung’s face, tearing the skin around his eye.“Ah, damn it!”“Don’t touch the wound. With that hand…!”Yoo Jungkyung was already rubbing his eye roughly. As Seokhwa tried to stop him again, he was slapped once more.“The master isn’t here today because of the incident, so try dying by my hand.”Seokhwa looked at Yoo Jungkyung with near despair. Blood from Seokhwa’s cheek, where Yoo Jungkyung had grabbed him, was now on Yoo Jungkyung’s hands, and Seokhwa’s blood had also smeared around Yoo Jungkyung’s eye. Seokhwa recoiled, moving back from the approaching Yoo Jungkyung.“It’s already… too late. I told you not to do it.”“Yeah, it’s too late. Way too late to calm my anger.”Yoo Jungkyung clenched his fist, ready to punch Seokhwa in the stomach. As long as he didn’t strip him naked, the master wouldn’t know, and Seokhwa wasn’t likely to snitch.Damn it…Seokhwa muttered, echoing Kwak Soohwan’s favorite curse.“What?”Just as Yoo Jungkyung was about to swing his fist, something dripped to the floor. Seokhwa was too far away, so the blood must have been Yoo Jungkyung’s.“What… what is this?”Yoo Jungkyung touched his nose, then spread his hand open in disbelief as blood continued to flow.“What the… why is this happening?”Seokhwa moved further to the edge of the bed to avoid Yoo Jungkyung’s outstretched hand.“Hey, this… cough.”As Yoo Jungkyung staggered closer, Seokhwa jumped off the bed. Backing away, he felt the plastic curtain against his back. The nosebleed started from both nostrils now. Despite Yoo Jungkyung trying to stem the flow with both hands, the bleeding didn’t stop.Unable to watch any longer, Seokhwa crawled on the floor, lifting the plastic curtain. Yoo Jungkyung’s pursuit was marked by blood splattering against the plastic as he coughed.Seokhwa crawled toward the door. Looking back, he saw Yoo Jungkyung collapsed in a pool of blood. Seokhwa wiped his face clean of blood at the sink beside the door. This was dangerous. He couldn’t risk exposing his blood. He discarded his shirt and changed into a long hospital gown from the infirmary wardrobe.Opening the door, Seokhwa found the hallway deserted. What’s going on? As he ran toward the emergency exit, he heard an all-too-familiar, dreaded explosion behind him. Turning around, he saw a distant building engulfed in fierce flames. The sight was mesmerizing, but he tore his gaze away and sprinted toward the emergency exit.As he flung open the door, he saw several soldiers in uniform. One soldier’s upper lip was split so severely that his gums were visible.They weren’t soldiers; they were Adams.“It’s dangerous! Retreat!”A voice from behind urged him to close the door, but the Adams forced their way in faster. Seokhwa’s nose began to bleed again. Despite the repeated retreat signals, there was nothing he could do. An Adam was already in front of him. The one with the split lip lunged at him, then suddenly halted.…Eve.…Eve.Amidst the guttural sounds of a beast, he heard the semblance of human speech.***About three months ago, in Vladivostok.Kwak Soohwan tightly held Seokhwa’s hands in his own.He looked anxiously at Seokhwa, who had a lower than usual body temperature. Seokhwa’s face, pale and expressionless, showed no sign of movement.They had been in Vladivostok for over two hundred days. It had been good to meet the crazy old man and work together in the dilapidated research lab. He had hoped Seokhwa wouldn’t overexert himself, but Seokhwa didn’t have the stamina for that anyway. So, was it just a cold? Without any fever or cough, Kwak Soohwan couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Seokhwa.The research lab they stayed in was recognized as a Biosafety Level 3 facility before the Adam outbreak. After the fall of the Allied Nations and the unstable situation in Vladivostok, it had become a haven for looters. However, warning signs indicating the presence of hazardous materials kept most looters at bay, so many of the items and equipment remained untouched. Of course, areas without warning signs had long been ransacked.Old man walked into the lab’s library.“Where’s the doctor?”Kwak Soohwan asked immediately, his eyes never leaving Seokhwa.Although it was called a library, it had been stripped of books and shelves for firewood, leaving only dust when they first arrived. Kwak Soohwan had refurbished it into their living quarters, making it look somewhat presentable with beds and desks.