Rainbow City

The man, with his head tilted askew and his fingers interlaced in front of him, slowly lowered and then raised his eyelids behind his mask. His posture conveyed a peculiar sense of boredom and weariness.

“Adam said, 

“

In the center of the high-ceilinged chapel, the young man’s face was full of conviction as he delivered his speech. Excited by the knowledge that the Serpent was watching him, he raised his voice even more than usual.

“We, who were cast out of Eden by God’s wrath, have always suffered. The Adam Virus is also the original sin decreed by God! To the wicked and foolish humans, God has delivered His final judgment. But! We have a savior! A savior free from Adam has taken on flesh and appeared before us. The brothers and sisters of the Northern Branch who have been saved lived their lives as humans despite the envious hostility of the wicked ones, so isn’t this also salvation?”

A faint smile crept across Choi Hoeon’s face beneath the white mask.

The new religion, Eden, created by the researchers, was merely a smokescreen. They needed justification for their research, and they covered it up as the will of God. Needing countless test subjects, they donned human masks and performed slaughter on the Eden believers.

Original sin from God? How could the Adam Virus be called God’s scourge?

The Adam Virus was nothing more than the mistake of an arrogant and greedy pharmaceutical company. Just as no one had foreseen that the Sarajevo incident would spark a world war, not even the pharmaceutical company had predicted that the Adam Virus would drastically reduce the global population.

Choi Hoeon found it curious that Eden, seemingly conscious, continually generated doctrines and constructed a new world among themselves. He had done nothing but mention a savior. Though it was a single thread of hope, those clinging to it only strengthened Eden’s foundation.

Even if they knew the truth—that Eden’s actual purpose was to supply test subjects as a breeding ground—their faith would never waver at this point.

Choi Hoeon turned his steps towards the basement of the chapel. He descended the spiral staircase and unlocked the heavy iron door with a key. After entering and locking the door behind him, lights began to sequentially illuminate the long corridor. As he walked along, he took off his white mask and hung it on his hand. The narrow, damp space felt familiar, and suddenly, his father’s voice came to mind.

“To avoid the eyes of the Second Master, we had no choice. You are the firstborn, so you must understand.”

He had only asked once why he could no longer meet his mother and why they had to live outside the city. His father’s voice had been devoid of emotion.

“They wanted to create mutants to protect the city, but that was wrong. The mutants should not be mere tools to defend the city. The more perfect the mutants, the less they should belong to the city.”

“Then, am I a perfect mutant?”

“The firstborn of Bison and Gihon is perfect. We must bring that child here.”

“Am I not perfect?”

His father did not answer. Instead, he injected a needle into his emaciated arm.

“Firstborn, this is for you. Pain is the beginning of evolution.”

A pain like thousands of ants gnawing at his veins came. It felt as if bones and flesh were being eaten away. As he bit his shoulder in agony, his father gagged him.

“It’s all for you.”

Choi Hoeon realized the depth of his father’s love, furrowed his brow, and then his expression turned blank.

Descending further underground, the lights once again began to sequentially illuminate the corridor. Strange cries pierced through the transparent yet solid glass windows. The corridor was divided into sections like a zoo, with test subjects inside.

Some Adams showed no reaction as Choi Hoeon passed by, but those in the sections where vision had not degenerated smeared their bloodied hands against the glass, screaming. Choi Hoeon paid no attention to any of them as he walked toward his destination.

Only when he reached the last room did he stop and turn. He pulled a chair from against the wall, unfolded it, and sat with his legs crossed. The man in tattered clothes stood in the corner with his back turned.

A circular hole in the ceiling opened, and with a splat, a naked person fell into the enclosure. The person, upon seeing Choi Hoeon, immediately ran towards the glass. But faster than that, the Adam in the corner bit into the person’s neck. Blood splattered, dotting the glass. Despite the agony, the fallen person kept reaching towards Choi Hoeon. The newcomer was not a person but an infected Adam.

The room’s original occupant quickly tore into the intruder’s belly, pulling out long intestines and crushing the skull to devour the brain, resembling a ravenous monster.

Choi Hoeon, entranced by the scene before him, stood and pressed his forehead against the glass. The master of the room was a test subject injected with Seokhwa’s blood.

“Father was right about everything. Pain is indeed the beginning of evolution.”

Thinking of Seokhwa in agony made him uneasy, but if pain was indispensable for evolution, he must endure it. As family, he should embrace and support Seokhwa. The hot body and the labored breath filled with pain were undoubtedly pitiable. Yet, why did he feel an inexplicable joy that could not be mixed with pity?

The news of his father’s execution was deeply saddening, but he first felt a stronger sense of duty to carry on his father’s will. Now, he could share this heavy burden with his brother.

An alarm, mimicking Mother’s voice, began to echo through the corridor. Choi Hoeon looked up at the speaker.

The sound caused the Adams in the rooms, with their sensitive hearing, to scream and thrash about.

Choi Hoeon calmly stood up and took out his walkie-talkie.

“What’s happening?”

The advisor called out to him as if waiting for this moment. There was a rule not to disturb his schedule until the master called.

“Evacuate?”

He replied indifferently, not forgetting to return the chair to its original place.

Choi Hoeon slowly retraced his steps back upstairs.

“Seal off the Yeouido shelter. Issue Level 1 crisis alert for the shelter. Command all elite units in Seoul to gather in Yeouido and block all bridge entrances.”

The advisor, who had accompanied Choi Hoeon, was waiting at the entrance.

“I’m going to the Yeouido shelter as well.”

Choi Hoeon cut off the communication.

Issuing a Level 1 crisis alert for the shelter signified a form of quarantine. The order was to seal off the shelter, release the trapped Adams underground, and create chaos among both enemies and allies. Choi Hoeon glanced at his wristwatch. He estimated that the infection would spread to the top in about two hours, and he could reach the top floor within an hour.

He donned his mask and stepped outside, facing the cloudy sky. It wasn’t just because of the gloomy weather before the rain. The sky over Yeouido was filled with smoke rising from buildings. Several helicopters flew over Choi Hoeon’s head, adding to the noise.

The advisor, who had jumped out of the jeep and opened the door, was visibly terrified. If the rebellion succeeded and the rebels took control of the city, everyone who had aligned with Choi Hoeon’s line would be as good as dead. The advisor knew better than anyone that the existing leadership showed no mercy.

“Master, we need to leave.”

The advisor urged Choi Hoeon, who was still gazing up at the sky.

“It seems we’re too late, doesn’t it?”

Choi Hoeon muttered as he lowered his head and got into the jeep. Had he given up? Without even fighting? The advisor anxiously awaited Choi Hoeon’s orders.

“Shoot down all the helicopters in the air.”

***

“He’s gone mad! Shoot down the helicopters?”

Lee Heechan laughed nervously. Well, it was a rebellion after all; they would have shot down planes if they could, not just helicopters.

“What about Kwak Soohwan?”

Lee Heechan was also dissatisfied with the current master.

If the master had been power-hungry like the First or Second, dealing with him might have been easier. But because the master’s true intentions were always hidden, she deliberately kept a firm distance.

Moreover, she had heard from her daughter about how Choi Hoeon was a Serpent and the lengths he went to achieve his position as master. If she had to choose between a greedy man and a psychopath, she would prefer the former. That’s why she had been lying low, waiting for the right opportunity.

Kwak Soohwan had made a sweet proposal just in time.

Kwak Soohwan, who smelled like a corpse that had been brought back from the sea, had fierce eyes demanding an immediate decision. Even after he went to Russia, they exchanged information through Colonel Cha, so the vaccine development was real. Lee Heechan’s mind worked quickly.

When she showed hesitation, Kwak Soohwan urged her not to delay if she needed anything more. In return, he asked her to set fire to the buildings outside Yeouido, excluding the shelter.

Although she was reluctant to get involved in dangerous matters, it was a vaccine they were talking about.

Migratory birds, hyenas—those were the nicknames given to her family among the noble houses. Lee Heechan was a proud person. She had suffered indignities among the families, so she thought this might be her chance.

“Did our people on the helicopter escape?”

She spoke into the receiver, hiding a sigh.

“What?”

What nonsense is this? Lee Heechan’s face twisted in anger.

“Speak clearly!”

She pressed her temples.

Ha, no wonder he was so willing to hand everything over. That bastard really used me.

And he took Chaeyoon with him, too, effectively dragging her into the mess. But thanks to his parents, she had a healthy Chaeyoon, so she could consider this a form of repayment.

It was time to start dismantling Eden’s Eden, which had been leading people astray. Combining religion and regime—if Choi Hoeon wasn’t stopped now, there would be no stopping him later. Understanding this logically didn’t ease her frustration, and she slammed down the receiver with a bang.

***

“Major.”

“Hmm?”

Seokhwa, in the helicopter, grabbed a piece of paper that was flying around and spoke. Communication within the helicopter was smooth thanks to the headset equipped with a microphone.

“Penguins can’t fly.”

“Really?”

Kwak Soohwan widened his eyes in surprise. He had seen all sorts of wild animals, but never a penguin.

“Then what’s the point of their wings? Well, Serpents can get erect but are impotent, right? But why does that bastard have to show his morning wood?”

Seriously, that bastard still holds a grudge because of what Dr. Seokhwa said. 

Lee Chaeyoon abruptly took off her headset. Perhaps being too honest can be a curse.

“Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? What can you do if Choi Hoeon is an exhibitionist, right?”

Though she wasn’t defending Choi Hoeon, it wasn’t that he intentionally showed himself; it was just morning. Seokhwa thought it might be better to be a bit more honest and adjusted his headset slightly. He simply laughed, as if to agree with him. However, worried that he might get another nosebleed, he kept her head down repeatedly. Not knowing this anxiety, Kwak Soohwan hugged Seokhwa’s head and kissed him to reassure him.

On the Han River’s Bamseom, which resembled a crescent moon, a light flickered. As the helicopter tried to land by following the light, the foliage beneath the propeller was noisily agitated. Before the helicopter fully settled, Kwak Soohwan and Lee Chaeyoon jumped out.

Kwak Soohwan, who had exited first, spread his arms wide as if to welcome him, and Seokhwa slid out of the helicopter like he was going down a slide.

“Hyung is brave.”

With genuine admiration, he hugged Seokhwa’s shoulder tightly and shouted.

“Fly straight along the Han River to the Yeouido shelter line!”

“The Yeouido shelter, sir?”

The pilot asked, wondering if there had been a mistake. The Yeouido shelter’s roof had small-caliber anti-aircraft guns capable of shooting down aircraft. Having seen the flames from the downed helicopter in the distance, he hoped the order would be reconsidered.

“I’ve already taken out the shelter’s anti-aircraft guns, so just trust me and fly! Wait at the Gwacheon shelter until we send reinforcements.”

At Kwak Soohwan’s yell, the pilot nodded once.

As the helicopter departed, the wind from the blades swirled up the grass, and Seokhwa had to cover his eyes with his hand. At the 11 o’clock position from Bamseom, five docked boats and about thirty mercenaries were waiting. Unlike the helicopter, the penguin marks were carefully concealed.

In Rainbow City, no family was allowed to have private soldiers, but the Emperor Penguin family selected A-grade or higher abilities from outside the city and used them as mercenaries. They were mercenaries in name, but incomparable to the ragtag B-grade soldiers of the city.

Lee Chaeyoon quickly boarded a boat and put her hand on the motor.

“Join up at Gwacheon?”

“No, go straight to Yeongjongdo.”

The Han River led directly to the West Sea, and following the Ara Waterway made it almost a straight course.

“Yeongjongdo? You know it’s a field of Adams now, right?”

“Why, are you scared?”

“Bullshit.”

Lee Chaeyoon tapped the spot on her arm where she had received the vaccine. The vaccine her mentor had brought was sufficient to administer to the penguin mercenaries.

Kwak Soohwan’s Violet troops had also been vaccinated earlier, allowing them to join forces with Colonel Cha to seize control of the Gwacheon shelter.

“Should we enter through the airport railway and wait?”

“No.”

To buy time, they had to adopt tactics different from the city’s standard training. Also, to avoid Mother’s surveillance, they needed people without tracking chips.

“Are all the soldiers here not city people?”

“Yes, they’re not.”

“Does anyone here have a city map?”

“Yes, we all do.”

One of the soldiers, who was sitting in the boat, raised his hand. Instead of asking him to bring it over, Kwak Soohwan waded into the water to retrieve the map. He spread it out on the boat where Lee Chaeyoon was and shone a pen-shaped flashlight on it. In his other hand, he held a military-issued marker. He circled a central point on Yeongjongdo’s second airport’s control tower on the map.

“Here, make the assembly point the secondary light control tower of the second airport. If everything goes smoothly, we should be the first to move to Jeju Island.”

“Jeju Island? What are we going to do there?”

“That’s where the culmination of City technology is. I’ve already sent old man there.”

“Who’s the old man?”

Lee Chaeyoon pursed her lips as if she were puzzled by the confusion.

“He’s the old man who helped develop the vaccine in Russia, but it’s a long story.”

“The old man is here?”

Seokhwa interjected suddenly. As far as Seokhwa knew, there was only one old man from Russia.

“That old man was originally a City researcher.”

Lee Chaeyoon rolled her eyes at the unfamiliar person, but Seokhwa wasn’t surprised. Somehow, it seemed like it might happen, so she snorted again to see if there would be another nosebleed.

“So, you sent the Inspiration who helped with the vaccine development to Jeju Island? To develop the vaccine in Jeju? Does Mom know about this?”

Lee Chaeyoon’s rapid-fire questioning was almost painful.

“Of course, she does.”

As soon as they crossed the East Sea, Kwak Soohwan and Commander Cha stole another boat from Geojin Port and divided into two teams there.

To explain the journey to Jeju Island, they needed to hand over the map they had to the two lieutenants and Inspiration. They marked places on the map to refuel the boat and a deserted motel where firearms were stored, instructing the lieutenants to load up on hidden firearms and grenades on the boat.

The high-end boat was equipped with precision sea charts and even fish finders. The old man party would have safely headed to Udo Island. So, that Russian guy probably asked to return the boat, but they probably didn’t comply.

“And on the way to Yeongjong Island, do you see here, Shin Island?”

Before heading to Yeongjong Island after leaving the Han River to the West Sea, it was an island floating there.

“People live here, but they’re not City folks. Since they’re very exclusive to City, it’s better not to wear uniforms if possible. Just say my name when you get there; there shouldn’t be any problems. Those uncles there will go wild if you give them something to eat, so take some food with you if you have any.”

He pointed to a point above the (former) passenger terminal on the island.

“If you see, there’s a deserted school nearby. I’ve blocked the entrance to the basement with a steel plate, but you should be able to clear it out easily. Inside, there’s money, grenades, dynamite, machine guns, rifles, pretty much everything. Since there might be a shortage of weapons, just take what you need and bring the rest to Udo. Since Jeju Island’s mainland is guarded by City soldiers, let’s avoid a full-scale confrontation until we safely arrive at Udo. With just our kids, we can easily subdue the Jeju Island mainland. Got it?”

As Seokhwa listened to Kwak Soohwan’s explanation over his shoulder, it seemed like he knew why Second had designated him as the controller. There’s nothing as important as a trustworthy commander in a crisis situation.

“Freak Soohwan, were you planning to start a rebellion once the vaccine was developed?”

Lee Chaeyoon exclaimed in disbelief as she folded the map and tucked it into her uniform. She felt a considerable amount of betrayal, given that his role as the controller had been kept secret for so long.

“Did you really think I knew the vaccine would be developed? I was just thinking of giving it a try when I turned forty or so.”

“In the Master Election?”

“Get going.”

Kwak Soohwan forcefully pushed Lee Chaeyoon’s boat with both arms. This signal prompted the boats to start running towards their destinations one after another. She seemed like she had more to say, but there was no time to delay. She threw a few bottles of water onto the island from the boat and quickly took hold of the steering wheel.

Seeing the fluttering cape here made it seem as if they were embarking on a trip somewhere relaxed. However, as the sun set and the rain began to fall, soon there would be no trace of the boat, not even a ripple.

As Kwak Soohwan emerged from the water’s edge and stood on the grass, he handed something over to Seokhwa. It was a bunch of nuts stuck together with syrup. Seokhwa suddenly realized that it had been a long time since he had eaten anything. He peeled off the plastic and put the nut bar in his mouth, and the sweetness spread instantly.

“It’s delicious.”

“What’s so delicious about it? It’s just filling your stomach.”

Since his time in Russia, Seokhwa had often said that anything given to him was delicious. Now he understood that it was a way of expressing gratitude for the effort made to obtain it.

As the sounds of frogs and crickets mixed together, only the two of them remained on the deserted Bamseom. The sound was so loud that it felt like her ears were stuffed with cotton.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re not going anywhere right now.”